When it all Goes Wrong
by JustADoll
Summary: Hermione Granger was practically promised the perfect life, until it is disrupted by one person she thought she could trust. She finds someone new, someone unexpected, but only more troubles follow. Not RXH!
1. Coming Home

_Quick scenario explanation: new story as, as you could tell, I wasn't enjoying the last one, I'm sorry about that guys. So, they've just left seventh year. Nothing amazing happened with our favourite pal Voldemort and he's basically sunk back into hiding. This story may be pretty slow uploading over the next couple of months as I have GCSEs to do (Yes I'm 15, but I'm sixteen in exactly 2 weeks, and therefore am legally able to have sex, so please don't kill me for writing M rated stories) and so I will be busy. Anyway, first chapter, hope you enjoy.

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Hermione Granger looked up from her book to see both Harry and Ron staring at her. Harry's bright green eyes glinted with that familiar air of mischief she knew and loved and Ron, well, what could she say? She loved him.

Ron's hand was resting on Hermione's leg, and as she put down her book she took hold of it. Her delicate fingers laced with his thick, keeper's ones.

Harry Potter smiled to see his friends so happy together.

It was late, and they were nearing King's Cross Station. School was over. They had left Hogwarts forever, and now they had to say goodbye, at least for a few weeks.

Hermione looked at her best friend and her boyfriend. They were both so handsome now. Harry's jet black hair had grown so it no longer looked untidy, but messy, in that way girls were so crazy about now. He'd had his eyes corrected at St. Mungo's during the Christmas holidays. It had been his crazy "entering the real world" move. They all had one. Hermione's had been straightening her hair using magic, just for the day, and Ron's had been trying muggle hair dye, but Hermione hadn't liked it, so he'd let it wash out.

Ron was very tall now, he'd never stopped growing, 6"4 he was now. He was muscular to go with it now. Due to strenuous quidditch training through their seventh year, his arms were full of toned muscles, his chest was broad and his face was chiselled and strong.

"So." Harry broke Hermione's chain of thoughts. "I know where I'm going after this. Back to the Dursley's for a few hours, then off to Grimmauld Place." He grimaced. "But what about you two?"

"Back home for a bit, I guess. Mum's not going to let me move out in a hurry." Ron said. Harry laughed.

"No. I think Molly would happily keep her little Ronnikins by her side forever if you let her." Hermione pulled Ron across the seats to sit beside her, where she lay her head on his chest. He put his arm around her shoulders and linked his fingers with hers once more.

"What about you, 'Mione? You going back home too?" Harry asked, turning his attention to her.

"I guess so. I've got nowhere else to go yet." She shrugged. "But I would like to move somewhere new pretty quick, maybe Hogsmeade or somewhere just to begin with, so I can keep in with magic a bit more."

"Good plan."

"I'm going to miss you two so much." Harry muttered. Obviously embarrassed at his desire to express such emotion.

"Tell me about it." Ron said, squeezing Hermione's shoulders, making her smile. Hermione, lifted her legs and rested them over Harry's. A picture perfect moment. And they sat like that, still and quiet, until they arrived in King's Cross half an hour later.

* * *

Molly Weasley rushed at them the minute they stepped off the train. She appeared to have already found and headlocked her only daughter, Ginny, and now seemed intent on doing the same to Ron, his best friend, and his new girlfriend, who Molly already loved like a daughter. 

She let go of Ginny as she engulfed the three into a hug so warm and happy, Hermione didn't know what to feel. Hermione, waved at Ginny as best she could through Molly's embrace, and Ginny raised her eyebrows cheekily, smiled and waved back.

"Oh, I've missed the three of you. You should have come back for Christmas, but no, you had to stay for all of those "seventh year parties" you were getting so worked up about." Once again, Ron laced his fingers through Hermione's as they walked up the platform to the gate separating them from the muggle world.

* * *

"Hermione!" Samantha Granger ran forward and flung her arms around her daughter. She was a small woman, petite, like her daughter, and had thin, mouse brown hair, so unlike her daughter's thick dark curls. "It's so good to have you home at last." 

She let go of Hermione and turned to the other people before her. "We've never been properly introduced, I'm Molly Weasley, I'm Ron's mum." Molly held out her hand, and Samantha took it eagerly.

"I've heard so much about you, and Ron of course." She winked very obviously to Molly and Hermione blushed.

"Well this here is Ron." Molly gestured to the tall boy beside her who, like his mother, held out his hand to Samantha Granger. She took it and smiled at the boy, taking a mental note to tell Hermione in the car of how much she approved.

"And this is my daughter, Ginny." Ginny too shook hands with Mrs Granger. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry nodded to Hermione's mother who gave an instant start of recognition. "Of course you are. I've heard so much about you too."

She put an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you all very soon, you must all come to our house one day for lunch." Hermione waved to the others as she was led away.

* * *

"Where's Dad?" She asked, the minute she'd climbed into her mothers ford and buckled her seatbelt. 

Samantha didn't answer straight away, instead she started up the engine first, and pulled out of her parking space. "He's away on business. He said to tell you he's sorry he couldn't meet you."

Hermione didn't look at her mother. "Ron's planning to propose to me." Out of the corner of her eye she watched her mother's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Hermione sat back in her seat.

"Is he now?" Samantha said quietly. "Your father won't be too pleased about that."

"I said he's planning to, mum, he hasn't yet." She slumped down in her faux leather seat. "He probably won't for ages." Hermione muttered to herself under her breath.

Samantha kept her eyes fixed on the road. Seven years with little contact with your only child meant there were parts of Hermione's life she didn't know much about, and now one had crept into conversation so quickly, she wasn't quite sure what to say. "Do you love this boy?"

Hermione tossed one of dark curls out of her dark eyes and finally turned to look at her mother. "How do I know? I'm not even eighteen yet." She paused. "He's my first proper boyfriend. I don't even know what love is." Hermione sighed, and Samantha could tell this had been playing on her daughter's mind for quite some time.

"It's very romantic, you know." Hermione looked back at her. "You know Paul and Sally from across the road? They met in high school and got married young," she turned to look back at her daughter "and they're still as in love as they ever were, expecting their fourth child any day now…"

"Keep your eyes on the road, mum"

"Right you are."

* * *

As the car pulled into the driveway of Hermione's home, her father, Graham, peeped around the curtain. "They're here." He whispered to the crowds of people packed into the front room. "Everybody hide." There was a huge shuffling and whispering as all fifty guests tried to position themselves so they would not be seen by anyone entering the room through the front door. 

There was silence.

Then, the lock rattled, and the door was pushed open.

"SURPRISE!" Crowds of people jumped out from behind curtains, sofas, tables and pot plants and Hermione threw her hands to her mouth in shock. Then, she spotted her dad. He held out his arms to her, and she ran into them. Everybody in the room seemed to chorus "awww" in the annoying way you would to a three year old giving mummy a kiss.

"Welcome home, sweetheart." Her dad said into her hair. "Welcome home."

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_Woo, ok, you know the drill. If you liked it, give me a comment, and if you didn't then… don't. I do love hearing from you though! Xxx_

_(PS. tenses are not my strong point so I apologise for any cross tenses I may have done.)_


	2. I Need You

_Here's another chapter for you, people who have read the first chapter, and new people of course, we love you. A review would be appreciated. Seriously, I LOVE getting them, so anything to say (except bad stuff cos we don't like that) then say it!

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"So, this lad… Ron, did you say his name was?" Graham Granger looked to his daughter, who nodded. "What are his prospects?"

The party was over. As always with her parent's parties, the guests had begun to glance at their watches only half an hour into the party and had started to leave. Within fifteen minutes, the house was empty.

Hermione sighed. "I guess he'll play quidditch for some team. Madam Hooch reckoned he was good enough."

"And quidditch, that's the game with the broomsticks, yes? You went to see some competition a few years back?" Hermione didn't even bother to answer.

Samantha looked up from the muggle paper she had been reading. "Maybe it's time we all went to bed." She moved the curtains to one side so she could see the sky which was inky black. "It's almost midnight after all."

So Hermione climbed the stairs, pleased to, at last, be away from her parents. She could hear them whispering though, harsh little argumentative quips at each other from the living room. "Now she thinks you have no interest in her life whatsoever." She heard her mum tell her dad.

"Well as far as riding in the air on a broomstick is concerned, I don't!" Graham retorted.

Hermione could hardly believe that a mere few hours before, she had been in the company of the two people she loved most in the world, and now she was alone.

She pushed open the door to her bedroom to find it in exactly the same state she had left it in back in august. Even the pile of clothes she had left on the floor had not been sorted. Hermione kicked over the pile as she walked over to her bed, and for some reason felt a rush of happiness at the sight of all the different coloured shirts and skirts littered over her plain carpeted floor like that.

There was a tiny owl waiting on her unmade bed. It kept hurling itself playfully at her overstuffed cushion, and then, using a combination of it's wings and the letter it was carrying, pushed itself back up. Hermione sat and watched it before asking softly, "What are you doing, Pig?"

She gently enclosed the bird in her hands and bought it up to her eye level, where she opened her hands to look the owl straight in the face. "That doesn't make you look very intelligent, you know." She told Pig, who hooted quietly in reply. She smiled, and took the letter from Ron out of it's clutches.

_My Darling Hermione, _

_I'm just writing this quick note to remind you I love you. Also, because mum told me I ought to write and tell you that we got home ok. Harry is now at Grimmauld Place, keeping Creature company, much to both of their delight. I hope you're ok, and your family too. Be quick there, ok? Find yourself a new place, some where close by. I know how your parents drive you a bit mad sometimes, but just hang in there. If you need a bit of saving anytime, just apparate on over here, in fact, I don't even know why I'm writing this at all, I could have just come over and said it myself. Oh well, this is a bit more romantic, I guess. Secret love letters and all that._

_You don't need to reply. Just come see me when you've found a new place. I may pop round and see you soon anyway, I can't bear to be a apart from you much longer. _

_Sleep well my love_

_Yours forever, _

_Ron xxx_

_PS. Would you mind feeding Pig for me, you know how hungry he gets, thanks!_

Hermione laughed as she read his post script. Classic Ron. She really did love him. She took some owl treats Ron had given to her to pack out of her open suitcase which her dad had bought up before, and fed one to Pigwidgeon. He hooted softly at her, and she took him over to her half open window.

"Let him know I love him." She told the owl, before letting him fly off into the night.

Hermione lay down on her now owl free but still unmade bed, and looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that were sprawled across her ceiling that she had stuck there back before she'd even started at Hogwarts. It made her think of the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, and how different the stars would look there right now.

Before she'd had a chance to remember times in that Great Hall, her mother opened the door. "Hermione?" she whispered into the darkened room. "Are you awake."

"Well I wouldn't be after you whispering so loudly." Hermione replied sarcastically.

Samantha didn't seem to register Hermione's harsh tone. "Are you just changing into your pyjamas and sleeping then, darling?" For some reason Hermione couldn't quite fathom, she didn't like her mum calling her "darling" anymore. It didn't feel right.

"Yes, I am. I'm… tired." Hermione let her mum tuck a stray lock of her curly hair behind her ear before rolling over to face the wall.

"Good night love." Samantha shut the door behind her.

Hermione slipped out of bed and undressed. She couldn't help but put her hands around her waist. It was her favourite of her body features, tiny and delicate, with a perfectly toned stomach. She'd had to work hard to get it like that. She smiled at herself in the full length mirror and pulled on a short silk negligee, and shrugged over it a matching light dressing gown.

Destination, determination, deliberation. The apparitions teacher from Hogwarts' words had stuck with Hermione. She apparated.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron was stood in the same sort of stance Hermione had been in moments before, hands on hips, posed in front of a full length mirror, but Ron was wearing boxers. Hermione moved to behind him, and slid her arms around his chest.

"I couldn't sleep alone." She whispered, her head resting against his strong back. Ron turned around in her arms.

His expression was worried. "But we can't. We promised, no sex before we get married."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "I said I couldn't sleep, not that I needed you inside right now." Ron blushed at her unHermioneish graphic language and she grinned. She stood up on her toes and kissed him, softly but passionately. He lifted her up and she obediently wrapped her legs around his waist. She knew in some couplings this would be crazily sexual, but for her it was just easier, Ron being over a foot taller than she was.

"I love you" Ron said, between kisses. He moved his lips to her neck and she answered. "I love you too."

She broke away. "Sleep with me tonight." Ron held her but didn't answer. "It's just this whole first-night-apart thing, I need to be with you tonight."

"Hermione." Ron said, putting her back down on the ground. "We need to get used to being apart. At least for now. It's not fair on Harry." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know it's true. And anyway, if you stay here tonight it won't be our first night apart, will it, and you'll just have to go through all of this again." Ron wriggled out of her arms and turned around. "I think you should just go back to your house and stay there tonight. I'll come see you tomorrow, but we need to get this over with." He swung back around, and she was gone.

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_I know these are very short chapters at the moment. I'm hoping to them short but regular if that's ok. Few little commentary bits. They're not having sex until they're married because I am not yet 16. And if anyone thinks that you can not reach a boyfriend who's nearly two foot taller than you by standing on your tiptoes, your wrong, or I have weird feet. Yeah I'm single now anyway so who cares. Idiot. _


	3. What's going on here?

_Ok, here's where the story actually gets going and we finally meet Mr Malfoy himself. I'm sorry to Ron lovers but I'm not too keen on him myself and so…

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Hermione was back in her room, lying flat on her back. She was enjoying the warm stream of tears comforting her as they fell down her face and dropped onto her pillow. It wasn't that she was upset, it was that she knew that he was right. They had their own lives to live now, and even with Ron's promise of a proposal, she didn't want to be the sort of woman who was lost without a big strong man around.

She slowly slid out of her dressing gown and tossed it to the floor. She rolled over, so was once again facing the wall.

"Hermione." She turned around. It the next day, and Ron had come to see her, exactly as he'd promised. "Hey you." She ran over and kissed him.

"I'm so sorry about last night." Hermione didn't reply, she just smiled.

Ron pulled her in close. "So long as I still have you it's all ok."

Ron didn't speak again. He just kissed her forehead lightly, and then all Hermione found in her arms, was emptiness.

* * *

"Mum, I'm moving out pretty soon." Hermione told Samantha over her cereal. 

"I know." Her mother replied. "Where are you planning to go?"

Hermione pondered. "I guess, maybe Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, somewhere busy, where I can easily keep in touch with people, and hear about job opportunities as well I suppose." She straightened out the leg of her pyjama bottoms, not wanting to have to look at her mother.

"Seems like you've got it pretty much figured out." Samantha said, wiping her eyes with her napkin, glad Hermione's eyes were diverted. "And what about Ron?"

Hermione finally looked up, hearing the renewed steadiness in her mother's voice. "I don't know." She ate a mouthful of her cereal. "I suppose I'll move in with him eventually, if we get engaged, but I'd quite like a life of my own first."

Samantha nodded in approval, though she hadn't done it herself, she liked the idea of her daughter trying to be an independent sort of woman. "I'm so proud of you, darling."

* * *

"Ron! You'll never…" Hermione stopped in shock at what was straddling her naked boyfriend right in front of her eyes as she apparated into Ron's room. 

"Jesus Christ, Hermione!" Ron threw the girl off him. She screamed as she fell on the floor beside Ron's bed. Hermione turned away, a river of tears spurting from her eyes. She sensed Ron right behind her and turned around and slapped him straight around the face.

"Put some clothes on both of you. I'll wait outside." A furious wave of anger flared up in Hermione as she slammed the door of Ron Weasley's bedroom closed behind her.

Only forty eight hours before everything had been perfect, and now look. The boyfriend she had been so sure had loved her, was going to propose to her, had been caught, caught making love to another girl. Hermione didn't even recognise her. And this was Ron, who had made her agree to them not having sex before they were married. She guessed now she knew why.

She banged hard on the door. "Are you both decent now?" The reply was yes, and Hermione slammed open the door. "Do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on here?"

"Do you want to tell me who the fuck you are?" Came the girl's answer. Hermione felt a fresh bubble of fury boil inside of her as she flicked her gaze between Ron and this slut.

She put on a fake smile. "Oh, I'm his girlfriend, did he forget to mention me? I'm so sorry." Ron put his head in his hands. "God, yes, you should be ashamed." She looked back to the girl. "Same question."

"I'm Vicky Harris. A friend of Ron's." She slid her hand up Ron's leg suggestively, but was shaken off by Ron. Vicky shook her mane of blonde hair out of her face, and pursed her heavily made up lips at Hermione.

Hermione lifted her arms casually. "You know what." Vicky put her head on one side. "You're welcome to him." She strode over to Ron, grabbed his red hair and pulled his face out of his hands. "And you." She said, harshly, her face only centimetres from his. "Can keep your ring. I doubt either of us will be wanting it now, unless she," Hermione pointed at Vicky, "is even cheaper than I thought."

And with that Hermione Granger apparated away from her boyfriend of over a year, vowing never to speak to him again.

* * *

"Mum! Dad! Hermione shouted through the house, the minute she arrived back at her home. Her parents came into her room. "I'm leaving now." Both parents opened their mouths to speak. "No don't worry. I'm just going to look for a flat or something." 

"Hermione, you have no money."

"No, but you'll lend me some, won't you, daddy? At least at first? And I'll pay you back every penny, you know I will." She stood, tears still steadily dripping down her face but she no longer registered them.

"Of course, but really, darling, what's the rush." Graham put a hand on her shoulder stopping her shaking.

"I need to go. I need to go and start this on my own. There's no better time."

Samantha put an arm around her daughter, leading her to sit down on the bed. "What's wrong, Hermione?" Hermione didn't reply. She just sat, crying.

Then she spoke. "It's Ron. I found him with another girl, just now." Both of her parents gasped with disapproval. "So you won't have to worry about me throwing my life away on some boy, daddy." She sat there, with a parent on either side, their arms around her, and she just let the tears slide steadily down her cheeks, and she'd never felt less loved.

* * *

The witch behind the desk at the wizard version of an estate agents, that is to say, a run down portaloo sized hut on the edge of Diagon Alley, spoke patiently. "I'm sorry dear. That's the only available flat I have here." 

The girl in front of her was a mess. She looked tired, and upset. Her hair looked as if it had not been brushed in weeks, and it killed the woman to subject her to such limited opportunities.

"So you're saying all you have for me is a three roomed apartment above the owl emporium?"

"Yes, I'm sorry dear." What could she do? She felt awful giving this poor child such an appalling offer, but it genuinely was all there was. Except that place that boy had told her to put aside, but she couldn't offer her that, she'd made a promise, and he had been such a handsome boy.

"Fine. I'll take it." Hermione sighed heavily, feeling helpless.

The lady behind the desk rifled through the papers on her desk until she found a sheet of green parchment, and handed it to Hermione. "Take this outside and fill it out, then bring it back to me."

Hermione nodded, and left the hut. There was a bench just outside the door, that she could have sworn had not been there before, so she sat down, and unrolled the parchment. She tried to read through the writing, but the images of Ron and that girl kept flooding her mind.

"No, just forget about him. New life now, we don't need him." She muttered to herself.

"You do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness don't you, Granger?" Shit. She recognised that cool voice. She looked up from her form to see Draco Malfoy stood sneering down at her. The evening sun was directly behind him, shining around him, giving an ironically angelic look to the Slytherin brat.

"It just gets better and better." She sighed. "Piss off Malfoy. My life's already crap so your work here is done." She turned back to the application form.

She felt Draco sit down beside her, but refused to look at him. "Oh really? Must have been an interesting couple of days, since last time I checked, you life was next going splendidly." He paused, having obviously noticed her stiffen. "Why, you got top grades in all your NEWTs. Were practically married to the weasel, and were off to get the career of a lifetime as far as anyone could tell."

"Why do you care, Malfoy? I mean, really. I know it's completely out of your nature, but could you, just for once, piss off and leave me to just wallow in self loathing and pity just for a little while." She could tell he'd heard her. And though she despised him, and knew he despised her, he got up.

"Gladly. Anyway, I have a woman to see about a flat." And he went into the hut.

Hermione shook Malfoy out of her mind, and Ron and Vicky with him. She looked down at the sheet of parchment in front of her.

Name. That was easy enough, she wrote "Hermione Granger" down in block capitals.

Age. Again, easy, seventeen. She wrote it down.

Current place of residence. She wrote down the address of her parents home.

Criminal record. Hmm. An interesting one. She wasn't aware she had any, but her reputation as a friend of Harry Potter's would certainly not have done her any favours in this department. She wrote down that she had none that she was aware of.

Pets. No. Crookshanks would not be taken out of the school grounds, and in their final year had formed a peculiar attachment to Fang, Hagrid's boar hound, so Hermione had told Hagrid he could keep him.

Occupation. She supposed she'd end up working somewhere in Diagon Alley to begin with, but she did not yet have a job. None.

Are you a nuisance? She laughed, thinking how she'd have reacted to this question on an application form had it been presented to her in the muggle world. Then she realised it was the first time she'd laughed all day, and then remembered why.

"No. Just don't think about him."

"I'm serious, Granger, it's not healthy." Draco Malfoy emerged from the hut, a scroll of parchments similar to Hermione clasped in his hand. Nice hands. Hermione could not help but think.

"Why are you being almost nice to me?" She asked, half out of interest, half to see what reaction she would get. She wasn't disappointed.

"I'm not!" Malfoy sneered. "It's merely a crime for your life to be miserable without my being the cause of it, so I'm just trying to cheer you up a bit so I can ruin your life again." His tone was snarling and cocky, but clearly a little flustered as well.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but you have never ruined my life and you never will, so just leave me alone, will you." She stood, up having completed her form, and swiftly strode into the hut, leaving Malfoy stood beside the bench.

When she left the hut, her new keys swinging from her forefinger, she walked right past Malfoy without even looking at him.

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_Please review _

_xxx_


	4. Coffee

Eeylops Owl Emporium was situated between Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and a tiny book store, crammed with books all based around the dark arts. Hermione stood outside and looked up at the windows above, which she guessed was now her home.

"Hello, my name's Hermione Granger, I'm just moving in upstairs." Hermione held out her hand to the nervous Mr Eeylop who took it with shaking fingers. He was a tiny little man, with greying hair in a ring about his head, and dark eyes that darted around the room.

"Very pleased to meet you, Miss Granger." His voice was steady, despite his shaking. "Please, follow me, I'll show you where the stairs to your flat are." Hermione followed him through past the desk in the shop, and through a door to the back room, lined with empty cages and bags of owl pellets. "I will, of course, give you a set of keys so you can open and close the shop to get through. Though I trust you can apparate." At the back of the back room was another door, which lead straight into a set of stairs.

'Up you go then." Mr Eeylop said, giving her gentle push up the first stair. He handed her a key and she thanked him. "If you need anything, just shout."

Well it could have been worse. She thought to herself as she climbed the narrow stone steps up to her room. She could have had an awful person downstairs.

The flat was small. The stairs came out in a sitting room and kitchen, sort of combined into a single room. There was a battered looking sofa in a corner that Hermione swore to replace immediately. An oven over in another corner, with a sink and fridge freezer. "Cosy." She walked on through to find the bedroom.

It was relatively spacious. Though it was currently empty she was sure it would fit a double bed and a dresser in. There was also a large wardrobe built into the wall which was good. The carpet was a plain beige colour, but clean.

There was a final door off from the bedroom, leading to a bathroom. This too was bigger than Hermione had expected, with a bath as well as a cramped shower stall, and, of course, a toilet and sink.

It could have been a lot worse. Hermione apparated back to her home.

* * *

"Ok, I found my new home." Samantha Granger jumped. 

"Is there no way for you to warn us when you're… landing?" Hermione shook her head. "Well that's great, Hermione." Hermione smiled. "Where is it then?"

"Diagon Alley."

"Oh." Samantha sounded disappointed. Hermione knew what was wrong. Samantha and Graham would be unable to visit her if she was living in a magic environment. She felt bad about it, but this was partly why Hermione had chosen to live there.

"Yeah. So I'm just going to grab some stuff, like my bed." She sprinted upstairs, closely followed by her mum. "If you could just put all the stuff on my bed, I'll just apparate with the bed."

The two of them rushed around the room. Hermione grabbed a pile of books, her purple furry beanbag, and her television, thinking of how empty her living room had been. Samantha piled up clothes, underwear, pyjamas, and shoes. A hairbrush, face towel, bath towel and toothbrush also joined the pile on the bed.

"Please, Hermione. Take your mobile phone." Hermione sighed, and took the huge phone off her bedside table, placing it on the bed. "Is that everything?" Samantha was wringing her hands nervously.

Hermione walked over and hugged her. She was too small, too skinny, she could feel her mother's ribs as she embraced her. "Take care of yourself, mum. And dad too. Say goodbye to him for me." Hermione felt awful for leaving Samantha like this. She'd hardly seen her mother for seven years, and now she was just going with barely an explanation.

"Goodbye mum." She kissed Samantha lightly on the cheek and then she let go of her. "I'll be back to see you soon. I promise." Her mum kissed her on the forehead. Hermione took hold of the bedstead, and was gone.

Samantha sank down onto the floor, and sat, just for a minute, in the empty space, where her daughter had slept.

* * *

Hermione spent the next few days collecting various items from around both muggle and magic stores to make her home more personal. As well as her beanbag, she replaced the sofa with a small puffy purple sofa. She painted the walls of the living room, and separated it from the kitchen by painting that a different colour. Hermione bought an interesting set of lime green kitchen utensils from a muggle shop, and topped it off with self mixing bowls and a self pouring kettle she was sure Mr Weasley would not have approved of. She packed her room with her books and stuff from home. 

She knew it was awful of her, but only when her parents had been out of the house had she gone back to pick up various other possessions. She knew they'd notice, her room was practically empty now.

"Hey, Felix." Hermione walked through the door to the emporium. Felix Eeylop looked up from his desk. He smiled, having taken a liking to his new tenant.

"Settling in?"

"Yes, I think I'm pretty much there now." She walked over to the desk and leaned over it to talk. "I'm working up quite a debt though. I really need to start looking for a job."

Felix looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure Flourish and Blotts was looking for staff. That seems like your sort of place." He smiled as he saw Hermione's face light up. He really had taken a liking to this girl. "You know I'd offer you a job here, Hermione. But I did see that post was there and thought of you."

"Oh, Felix, thank you so much." She stood back up and moved towards the back door. "I'll go there tomorrow and find out about it."

* * *

The next day Hermione got up earlier than she usually did, and showered, She sat on her bed wrapped in her towel she'd bought from home, and looked through her wardrobe. She'd never been to apply for a job before. She didn't know anyone who ever had or had at least ever spoken about it. She pulled out a pair of black jeans and a light blue jumper. 

She put them on and looked in her full length mirror. She thought she looked good, very grown up. Hermione pulled her hair up loosely into a ponytail. She added liner and mascara to her chocolate colour eyes and headed out of the door.

"Hi, I saw the ad in the window… I was told you were looking for staff…" Hermione was walking down the street, trying to decide what to say.

"Granger. I'm starting to worry about this problem you seem to have." Draco Malfoy came up beside her. He was dressed well, as he always was, similar to her, in black jeans and a blue sweater, though his was brighter, matching his ocean blue eyes. He looks quite good… Hermione thought. She knew a year before she'd have kicked herself for even thinking this. But she'd started to realise that even the good boys couldn't be trusted. She hadn't heard a word from Ron since that morning. So why should she go thinking Malfoy would treat her any worse.

It was true, he had associations with the dark arts, and had never been nice to her at school. However, he was the only person from school she'd seen since leaving, and he had been relatively civil to her.

"I know. I'm starting to worry about it myself." She looked up at Draco's face, he looked thoughtful.

"Believe me, Granger. It is completely unnatural for a Malfoy to ask a muggle born for a coffee, but would you like to?" Hermione stopped. Draco walked on a few metres before also stopping and then walking back to stand beside her.

Hermione pulled him to the side of the heaving street. "You, Draco Malfoy, the boy who called me a mudblood, continuously throughout the seven years we were together at Hogwarts, are now asking me, before mentioned mudblood, for a coffee?"

"Um, yes?" Hermione put her head on one side as she pondered the idea.

"Well, I'm on my way somewhere." She told him. He nodded. "So am I."

"Oh, go on then."

Draco pushed open the door of his favourite coffee shop, and held it open for Hermione. He wasn't sure what he was doing, asking this mudblood to coffee, but he'd done it. He didn't regret it either.

"Shall we sit down then, now that we're here?" Hermione sat down at the table nearest the door. He sat down opposite her. She was very pretty. Her light brown hair looked light and shiny, her skin was lightly tanned, and her eyes, well they just seemed to swallow him whenever he looked into them.

Despite what most people thought, Draco Malfoy had very little experience with girls. He'd had sex of course. His father had sworn he'd disown him if he hadn't by the time he was seventeen. He knew it was an odd thing a parent would wish his son to do, but Lucius hadn't been a typical father.

But now Lucius was in Azkaban, and everything was different. Draco had found, the people he had before hated, had grown on him a little over the last year, now that he was allowed to see them clearly, especially this girl.

"So, where are you headed?" He asked her.

"Flourish and Blotts, now my turn. Why are you being so polite to me?" She was quick, he had to admit it. He laughed his coldest laugh.

"I told you, I'm concerned for your health."

"But why, you've never been concerned for my health before." Hermione wasn't going to let him act as if he was still was the git he'd always been. "You've been acting differently, Malfoy. I want to know why."

Draco took a sip of the coffee that had been set down before them by a small grey haired witch. He watched as Hermione stirred in first milk, and then a sugar, followed by another. "I really do not know, Granger." She looked up at him, her eyebrows raised, wishing him to elaborate. "I trust you know that my father has been sent to Azkaban."

"Yes, I was so sorry to hear." Hermione said sarcastically. Draco laughed again, a real laugh. It was quite infectious, Hermione felt her mouth twitching into a smile. He had a beautiful laugh.

"I know you don't care. To be honest I don't care either," He watched as she took a tentative sip of the hot coffee and quickly withdrew.

"So what? Your father goes to prison so you decide to turn in your deatheater…ness, and decide to be nice to us good guys?" At that Draco pulled off his sweater so he was wearing only a white t-shirt. He turned to the side to show his forearm.

"An important factor missing in that theory." He said, seeing her eyes widen.

However it wasn't the blank skin that was widening Hermione's eyes. The muscles beneath the skin were enough to shock any girl she thought.

"I see." Hermione could not quite take her eyes off Draco's arms. He laughed at her, which bought her gaze up.

She blushed. "Impressed?" He asked her.

"Not really. I'm pretty used to it." She grinned at him.

Ah sat back in his chair. "Ah, I forget, the brawn with no brains." He could see he'd accidentally struck a nerve. Hermione recoiled, and seemed to lose the confidence she'd had only a moment before. She looked away from him, down at her lap, and Draco leaned forward again, nearer to her.

"What did I say?" He asked concernedly.

"I have to go now." Hermione said, standing up hurriedly.

Draco got to his feet as well. "But you haven't even finished your coffee."

* * *

_I like Draco. I read some of these stories and I don't like the way he seems to have suddenly changed, but it's quite hard not to do it to make this work. I'm trying my best though. _

_Please review _

_xxx_


	5. I Hope You're Right, Hermione

_I've just been reading through all this, and have just realised how ridiculously English it sounds. Its really quite funny. By the way, the word bathetic, is a word I was taught in English but do not trust my teacher that it's real, but supposedly means over exaggeration, turn something completely ordinary into a revelation or something of the sort.

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_

Hermione didn't go to Flourish and Blotts. Instead she headed back to her flat. There were no tears in her eyes, but she knew she wouldn't be able to handle asking for a job just now.

She reached the emporium. She just stood outside, unsure of what to do with herself. Suddenly she decided. Hermione apparate to her room and sank down onto her bed, and dissolved into tears.

"Hermione?" She sat up and looked around. Harry Potter was stood in her doorway. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. As she continued to cry, he put his arms around her.

"Yeah, I heard Ron screwed up." Her crying became slightly more hysterical. "I'm so sorry, 'Mione."

Half an hour past with Hermione laying on Harry's chest, crying. Eventually the tears started to dry up, and she began to hiccough. Harry couldn't help but laugh softly. He kissed her lightly on the forehead as he pulled her to her feet. "Let's get you some water." Hermione followed him to her kitchen.

Harry ran water into one of the lime green glasses and handed it to Hermione. She put it shakily to her lips and sipped. "Thank you, Harry." She took another sip. "I know, Ron's your best friend and everything."

"Actually the second he told me what he'd done I apparate out of there." He laughed hollowly. "It was unbelievably out of order of him, and you're my best friend too, 'Mione, you know that." He put his arm around her shoulders once more. Hermione looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Really."

Hermione sniffed noisily, and Harry handed her a tissue. "Hey." Harry looked down at her, and she pulled herself out of his hold. "Guess who I went to have coffee with this morning."

Harry looked at her questioningly. "Draco Malfoy."

The look on Harry's face changed instantly from question to concern. "Why?" He let go of Hermione completely and she moved away. "Was he a bastard to you?" He laughed. "Ha, stupid question."

"Actually." Hermione was surprised to hear defence in her voice. "He's been really quite pleasant to me." Harry turned away.

"God, I don't know what's going on with you two." Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "First Ron goes off and screws you around so badly, and now you're making friends with a Malfoy."

"Harry that's not,"

"He's a deatheater, Hermione!" Harry interrupted her. Hermione ran forward and stood glaring right into Harry's eyes.

"He's not, Harry. I've seen where it should be, and it's not there."

Harry looked at her, full of exasperation. "Why are you defending him? Have you forgotten what he put you through all the way through Hogwarts? Have you forgotten what his father did? Have you forgotten that Sirius is dead because of the likes of him?"

"But he's not his father Harry, I know he isn't." Harry just stood, staring at her disbelievingly.

"Well I really hope you're right."

"Harry, he's has been the only person who's… who's nearly been there for me through this thing. I mean it's all very well you turning up now, but where were you a week ago? When I really needed you."

Harry couldn't reply and it finally hit Hermione just how much her life was changing already. "Get out." She suddenly says, deciding what to do.

"What?" Harry asked, slightly disbelieving.

"Get out of my home. I can't be around you like this. It's my life, and it's changing, and I just need to get it figured out before I see you again." Harry didn't even answer, he just apparated away.

"Right." Hermione said to herself, breathing heavily. She took another swig of the water Harry had got for her. "Flourish and Blotts."

She stood and straightened out her outfit. She went into her room and reapplied her makeup and redid her hair.

This time she was not interrupted in her journey to the bookshop.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger and I need a job." The man behind the counter smiled at her.

'You're hired. When can you start?"

Hermione looked at him curiously. "That's it?" The man nodded. "You don't want to make sure I'm organised or intelligent or can even read?"

The man let out a short laugh. "I know who you are Miss Granger. I know about you're intelligence and I think you're perfect for the job." Hermione laughed. "That's the first bit of good news I've had all day. I can start maybe on Monday?"

Hermione waltzed out of the shop feeling much lighter than she had done since that journey home on the Hogwarts Express.

It was Friday, she had two days to find Draco and find out if there really was a potential for a friendship between them. She had to know, because if there wasn't, she'd just sent off the only friend she'd had left.

"Granger!" She swung around. Draco was running up behind her, his beautiful blonde hair feathering as he ran. She smiled at him as he approached. He stood breathless before her. "What happened earlier? I mention Weasley and suddenly…" Hermione pulled a face at him. "You broke up." She nodded.

"This may be overly forward of me. And believe me, I still don't believe this good boy act you're trying to pull, but would you like to come to my flat, just so we can talk?" Hermione explained hurriedly, not wishing him to get the wrong idea about her intentions. Draco smiled. Like his laugh, this was the first time Hermione had witnessed this, and she decided she really liked it.

"I'd love to."

The two of them walked side by side to Eeylop's in silence. Draco almost walked straight passed. "Stop, Malfoy." Hermione called after him. "This is home." He looked up, his eyebrows raised. He clearly wasn't impressed. "Oh right, so where do you live then?"

Draco scoffed. "A double flat above Quality Quidditch Supplies. Two bedrooms, one ensuite, a kitchen, living room and bathroom." Hermione laughed.

"Only a Malfoy." He turned to her, his blue eyes piercing her brown ones.

"Excuse me?"

"All I mean is, you like your luxury, even if it's very unnecessary."

Draco shrugged. "Guess you're right."

"We'll apparate up."

Draco looked at her like she was mad. "Are you crazy Granger? I don't know where I'm going, I might splinch or something."

She laughed. "You should see your face." But Draco did not join in. "Fine. You're going to have to hold on to me."

"Excuse me?"

Hermione held out her arm, her fist clenched. Draco obediently took hold of her wrist.

The second during which Draco had hold of her wrist was amazing for Hermione. She had read books about the feeling you get when your true love touches you, and she'd always imagined it would feel something like this. However, the idea of Draco Malfoy being her true love was ludicrous, so she shook this thought from her head, the second her flat came into focus.

She watched as Draco took in the flat. But he did not comment. He walked over to her beanbag with a curious smile playing about his lips, and sat down on it. "This is odd. Some sort of muggle contraption I trust."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, it's an amazing invention, commonly known as the bean bag." She raised her eyes brows in amusement at the bathetic interest on his face.

"Very funny."

Hermione sat down delicately on her new purple sofa and looked down at the seemingly pompous, arrogant man, she'd always hated, who was currently bouncing up and down on her purple furry beanbag, chortling at the sound it made.

When Draco seemed to have accepted this new revelation in the way of furnishings, he looked up to see Hermione watching him. "So, Granger." He tried to put on his best drawling voice. "You invited me here, so what exactly is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

For some reason she did not seem upset by his tone, which Draco considered to be very impressive. Instead she just blinked at him, unimpressed. "Well for a start, I wanted to, for some unknown reason, explain to you what happened between me and Ron, and secondly I wanted to try and understand why you've suddenly decided not to be such a prize winning bastard."

Draco considered her in his annoyingly superior manner. "Fine, well, we'll start with you then. You want to tell me what happened with the weasel?"

"Well, we broke up." She said. She'd planned to tell him all the details, just like that, but her mind didn't seem to want to think about it.

"I'd guessed that much." It was unexpected but Draco's voice was softer, Hermione looked up to see a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "Do you want to tell me why, or just leave it at that?"

Hermione took a deep breath, and explained to him what had happened.

"I'm sorry." Draco said when she'd told him everything, her eyes were dry, but it had been difficult. She laughed wryly. "No, really, I am. That's an appalling thing for a boy to do to his girlfriend, I'm surprised at him, wouldn't have thought he was the type." Hermione nodded.

"You're turn now. Prey do tell me why you're being civil if not nice?" Draco sat in silence for a minute before answering.

"I've already told you nearly everything. My father's in Azkaban and I'm suddenly free of this man I've always had to obey my entire life. His words were law in my house, you must understand, and all of his ideas and opinions became mine as well." Hermione watched him, waiting for a lie to slip in. She knew it was unfair of her, well maybe it wasn't, but she could not trust him, not yet.

"And now, after he was arrested at the end of our fifth year, I'm able to think for myself, talk to people I'd never been able to talk to before, experience things that before were off limits, and it's been amazing." He sat back clearly forgetting his seating had no back, and fell down flat. Hermione couldn't help but giggle as he struggled to right himself.

"But that was two years ago that your dad was sent to Azkaban, why are you only now being polite and almost friendly?"

Draco brushed himself down and looked up at her once more. "I had to keep up appearances at school, can't have everybody believing that Draco Malfoy had gone soft."

"And now they're not watching you, so you can talk to the likes of me without them judging you." Her words were accusing and she saw Draco recoil slightly.

"I don't know. It sounds horribly superficial, but I think you might be right."

They sat in silence, both unsure of what to say. Hermione offered Draco a drink but he declined.

Hermione looked down at Draco, trying to understand what he had said. Was the man in front of her the real Draco Malfoy, and it had all been an act all these years, a boy brainwashed by his father, or was this all a trick, a joke? In which case had she just made a terrible mistake in telling him about what had happened between her and Ron.

Draco looked up at Hermione. If only he could make her see he was telling the truth, but he could tell she did not trust him. She really was very beautiful now. He wondered why he'd never been able to see it before. He looked at her, sat there. Her soft light brown hair fell about her face in loose curls, no longer bushy and unkempt like it had been before. Her porcelain skin looked smooth and was completely unblemished. The eyes he kept seeing darting down at him were the colour of rich chocolate so deep he felt as if another look from those eyes and he'd never be able to look away.

"I think it's time you left now. It's getting quite… dark." Hermione looked outside, to see it was just as bright and sunny as it had been when they had arrived, but Malfoy was standing up.

"Very well. It's been interesting." He held out his hand, and Hermione, surprised, shook it.

"I hope to see you again." And with that, Draco Malfoy apparate away, leaving Hermione alone.

* * *

_Can I make him nice now? Yeah I forgot to mention before, as far as this is concerned, nothing interesting happened in their sixth and seventh years at school, of course they did really, but Malfoy's like evilest thing ever and a deatheater in the sixth book and that just wouldn't work, at least not so well, so please just forget that bit when reading this, as well as Dumbledore being dead, even though he hasn't appeared. Oh yeah, Happy Easter!_

_Please review _

_xxx_


	6. I Had A Wonderful Time

_Thank you for comments, I do love getting them. This is actually completely different from my first draft of this chapter, but I quite like it. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, but the plot is mine. _

_

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Hermione's life had become routine. She got up at eight. Showered, dressed, applied her makeup and tied up her hair and went to work. At quarter past twelve she would go out for coffee and something to eat and would return to the shop by one. She would continue working throughout the after noon until five forty five when she walked the short distance back to her flat. At home she would eat a small meal, watch TV using magic to generate the power it needed, and would then go to bed. It was simple, and boring and she hated it.

Draco Malfoy had not been heard from. Hermione wasn't sure whether she cared or not. It was true she had felt she could trust him with what had happened between her and Ron, but she had been upset that day, her judgement impaired.

However, his absence seemed a little strange, after all, he did only live down the road. She had to admit it was a long road, but still.

"Damn you, Draco Malfoy." She tried to wipe him from her mind as she gathered her still damp hair into a ponytail.

"Good morning, Hermione." Felix called to her as she walked through the shop. She waved vaguely at him as she pushed the door open to let herself out.

"Watch it!" The man pushed her away as he crashed into her as he entered the shop. She straightened out her clothes, as she watched Felix fix the wizard with a cold stare. He was going to leave empty handed.

She walked out of the shop and headed up the street towards Flourish and Blott's. She had only gone a short way before she sensed she was being followed. She stopped. She turned around.

Draco Malfoy was stood a short distance behind her. His blonde hair shone in the early morning sunlight, and his eyes were looking straight at her. She glared at him and he held up his hands, as if in surrender.

"God, what have I ever done to you?" She looked at him in disgust. "I'm serious." He moved to her side and began to walk. When she did not move, he looked over his shoulder at her. "You have a job to get to."

Grudgingly, Hermione walked beside him. "I haven't seen you in a while." She commented, it came out cool, but she secretly meant it as a question.

"Been missing me have you?" Draco said, not looking at her.

Hermione laughed hollowly. "You really are full of yourself, aren't you? What happened to the whole "freedom from my father" and "being able to have my own opinions" thing you were try to pull on me only a few weeks ago?"

"I told you before, it's no fun taunting a person who already feels as if their life has been ripped apart. I figure you've now had time to recover." He looked down at her, smirking at the disgust on her face.

"I can walk alone now, if that's ok." She said, turning to face him.

"Oh, but I need to buy a book." He said, turning away again, back to the path ahead. Hermione followed suit.

She refused to look at him and they neared the shop in silence. Hermione barged straight passed Draco without so much as a thank you as he held the door open for her.

She headed straight to the backroom. "Hello, Hermione." Mr Flourish stood there, sipping his coffee. "Any customers out there yet?"

Hermione poured coffee for herself and stirred in her milk and sugar. "One, but he's only here to irritate me." Right on cue there was a tap on the door.

"Any chance of service?" Draco asked, poking his head around the door. Hermione sighed, put down her coffee and went into the shop to find Draco waiting at the counter.

"Listen Granger." He said hurriedly, before she'd even had a chance to speak. "I know you think I'm an arrogant, evil, stuck up, conceited ass hole, but I'm not." She stared at him. He could see she wasn't buying this. "I haven't really gone about proving it too well this morning." She laughed hollowly.

"Yeah, you can say that again."

"But what I said, that time we had coffee, and the time you asked me to your flat, well, I wasn't lying." She stopped laughing and just stood there, her beautiful eyes looking at him, and he knew she didn't mean them to, but they looked so forgiving, he felt his confidence grow. "Can I make it up to you?" She raised her eyebrows at him suspiciously. "Would you come and see my flat, tonight? I'll make you dinner?"

Hermione stood and looked deep into his eyes, trying to find a lie, or any reason she should not go. She could see none. She nodded. "Ok." A smile instantly spread across his face, and it was so contagious, she smiled to. "You're making up for over seven years though, Malfoy. Think your cooking will cover it?"

"You just wait." He told her, backing out the shop. "Seven, I'll meet you in Quidditch Supplies." He turned around just before he reached the door, and Hermione couldn't help herself, the hormones just wouldn't let her not. She checked out his butt.

Nice.

* * *

It was six o clock. Hermione had showered and dried her hair. Her wardrobe was flung open and clothes were piled all over her room. 

"Not too dressy." She muttered, throwing a laced top from the wardrobe.

"But not to casual." She added, discarding faded jeans.

Her wardrobe was empty. "This is fucking impossible." She said, flopping down on her clothes strewn bed.

She decided to leave the clothes for the minute. She sat down at her dresser and looked at her face. Hermione Granger was pretty. The hair was the let down, but the face was lovely. She'd always been told it. Mostly by muggle friends of her parents. Being a muggle born in the wizarding world never earned you any compliments.

Hermione grabbed at eyeliner and shaded a fine line over her bottom lashes. She followed this with brown eye shadow, enough to look special, but little enough to still look natural. She finally swept a mascara brush over her top lashes, not wishing to make herself look too made up.

She stood up, and felt a flutter in her stomach. She was excited, she hadn't realised it before now, but she was really excited. A boy, a very good looking boy, was making her dinner in his apartment. She put what Harry had said about Draco out of her mind, and even tried to forget her own opinion on Draco only a couple of months before. This was her first date since Ron and she wanted it to be good.

Clothes suddenly became easy. She pulled on a tight fitting light purple cashmere sweater, and white jeans.

* * *

Ten minutes later Hermione stood just inside the door of Quality Quidditch Supplies. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy as it was now five past seven. He was either late, or wasn't coming down. 

"You Draco's date?" The man behind the counter called to her and she whipped around the face him. He was tall, dark haired, and Hermione would guess he was around thirty. She approached the counter.

"Yes, I mean… Yes, I suppose I am."

"Good." The man smiled at her. "He told me to send you up. I got worried when you didn't show up bang on six. I didn't want to have to tell him he'd been stood up, especially seeing as to all the effort he's gone to for you." He winked at her. "He must like you a lot."

Hermione blushed, and was quite surprised. The man directed her to a doorway, not dissimilar to the one back at Eeylop's, beyond which was a set of stairs. She climbed them, a little nervously and knocked on the door at the top.

The door was immediately flung open by Draco, who beamed when he saw her. "Come in, come in, come in. I was scared you weren't going to come." He lead her through the living room, and he gestured for her to sit down.

She looked around, it was just as impressive as Draco has described it. "Well looks like you got the better deal, Malfoy." She said, indicating the four doors leading off from the one she was sat in. "I only got one of these."

He laughed and looked over at the clock on his mantelpiece, another feature of his flat Hermione was not fortunate enough to have. "Are you ready to eat?" He asked her. She nodded. "I'm not surprised, you look as if you haven't eaten in days."

Hermione felt her mouth fall open. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry." Draco said. "You've just lost a lot of weight."

"I have a busy life. You see I don't have insanely rich parents who I'm able to live off, I actually have to work for my money." Draco nodded apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I understand weights a touchy subject for women." Hermione shook her head in disbelief but did not argue.

Draco stood up and went through one of the doors leading out of the living room, leaving Hermione alone. She got up and wondered around the room, taking it in. In her living room there were countless pictures of her parents, of Harry, of Ginny, none of Ron of course, and of her muggle friends. In Draco's there was a single picture of a boy Hermione guessed must be Draco cuddling up to a very beautiful blonde haired woman Hermione recognised as a young Narcissa Malfoy, who was playing with her son's hair and smiling down at him.

She looked up to see Draco stood in the doorway watching her. She put down the photo abruptly. She pointed at it as she stammered. "She, um, she's very beautiful, your mother." Draco walked over and picked up the picture.

"This was taken when I was five, I think." He put the picture down once more, and led Hermione out of the room.

The dining room was exquisite. Hermione could hardly believe she was in a flat, this place seemed so huge. Draco pulled out one of the dark wooden chairs for her and she sat down. He disappeared once more. Hermione had barely had time to take in the muggle sound system and TV set before he had reappeared once more, carrying two plates of food.

"It was only as I was leaving Flourish and Blott's this morning that I realised I had no idea what you liked." He put the plate down before her and she laughed as she looked at the plate of fish and chips. "So I had to go basic."

"It's perfect. My favourite." She picked up her fork and speared a chip.

'I'm so pleased."

They made light conversation throughout their meal. Hermione was surprised at the number of times Draco made her laugh. It was almost like being with Harry, or… Ron, before they had gone out, but there was something much more intimate in the way they looked at one another and though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but like the attention this gorgeous boy was giving her.

"So have I made up for my seven years?" Draco asked her after they had finished. Though his voice was casual. She spotted nervousness in his eyes.

"I don't know, maybe about four of them, possibly five." He smiled. Hermione wasn't sure why, but the fact that Draco Malfoy was smiling with her, felt like a privilege, like she was special. She guessed It was because she'd just only recently started seeing it.

"Anything I can do to make up for the other three, possibly two?" Draco asked, teasing her, as he tapped his plate with his wand, clearing it completely. He repeated the process with Hermione's plate as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you were to escort me home, I'm sure that could make up for at least one of them." She stood up, and he did too.

She walked through to the living room and sat back down on the couch. He followed and sat beside her. Offering her a glass of wine he'd clearly just summoned from the kitchen. She accepted it. He held another glass himself and raised it to toast her. She blushed.

"You really are quite charming." She told him.

"I'm flattered that you think so."

"No, really." She caught his gaze and held it. "I would never have believed it possible when we were at school, I just thought you'd leave and become a deatheater, just like your father, but here you are. And I trust you." He sat and looked at her.

"I'm flattered." He turned away. "I'm so pleased you believe me now. You don't know how much this means."

They sat in silence as the both finished their wine. The silence was not awkward, but warm, and ever so slightly intimate. She trusted him, and he felt he was falling for her.

"Time to get you home then." Draco said finally, taking her empty glass from her.

"Yes, thank you." Draco was gone momentarily as he took the glasses back to his kitchen and then he returned and they left his flat.

"I had a wonderful time."

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_Rather rubbish end, sorry. _

_Please review_

_xxx_


	7. Muggle London

_I don't care that I only updated this morning! Big thank you to Pure Girl who seemed to review chapter 6 the minute I posted it up, that was brilliant, thank you so much. Seriously guys, review me, I know I can't make you, but it makes me want to write so much more!

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Hermione almost floated down Diagon Alley the next morning on her way to Flourish and Blott's. The walk back to her flat the evening before had gone by in a complete daze. All she could remember was the soft kiss he had laid upon her cheek as he turned to leave her.

"Good morning, Mr Flourish." She sang as she pushed open the door to the bookshop.

"Good morning, Hermione." Replied the old man, taking in the girls dreamy expression and chuckling. "Good evening?" She nodded happily, pouring herself coffee and stirring in her milk and sugar. "So the irritating boy is not quite so irritating after all."

Hermione didn't reply. She was just lazily replaying the evening before in her mind. It had been really quite magical, simple, she knew, but magical. Never in a million years would she have guessed she would be feeling so happy over Draco Malfoy.

The day flew by. Hermione barely registered the difficult customers or the strenuous tasks Mr Flourish laid upon her. She knew he was laughing at her as she floated around the shop in a dream, but she didn't care.

"It's time to go, Hermione." Mr Flourish told her at five forty five. She looked up at the clock.

"My god, it is." She smiled at her employer. "I'm sorry I've been a little useless today."

"No, you've been brilliant. You should have wonderful evenings more often. Not saying that you're usually anything less than perfect." She thanked him and left.

Autumn was coming and the street was darker now as she walked down it towards her flat than it used to be. She drew her light summers cloak around her shoulder in the slight wind.

She reached her flat and was a little annoyed to see that Felix had already locked up. She drew out her keys for the first time ever and unlocked the door.

The lights were off in the shop, and the rustling of the owls in their cages made her a little nervous as she crossed the shop. Eventually she reached the stairs leading to her apartment and climbed them.

The lights were all on in her apartment. Hermione was sure she had not left them like that. She drew out her wand as she cautiously pushed open the door. She stood in the doorway.

"Who's there?" She called out. There was no reply.

Then she heard the sound of a toilet flushing, and seconds later the door to her bedroom started to open. Hermione directed her wand to the door.

The door opened all the way, and Hermione lowered her wand.

"What are you doing in my flat?" She asked, trying to keep the smile off her face. Draco shrugged.

"I missed you. Thought I'd come and visit." He slumped down onto her couch, wriggling around a little, trying to get comfortable. "I prefer the beanbag."

"You missed -"

"You can't tell me you weren't missing me too." Draco interrupted her, smirking.

"I didn't miss that face." She told him, and his face fell. He patted the space beside him and Hermione sat down, suddenly very aware of how little effort she'd put into her appearance that morning. Her hands immediately flew to her hair, and she tried to subtly tease it into submission with her fingers.

Draco caught her fingers in his hands bought them down. "Don't go to the trouble for me." He sat and pretended to think. "Even though I am worth it." Hermione dug her elbows into his stomach, realising how close they were. "Ow. Not fair. You have far pointier elbows than me." Draco said calmly.

"So what did you want, Malfoy?" She asked.

"Well, I was on my way out for a dinner and I was just wondering if you cared to join me." Hermione felt her butterflies again.

"Not looking like this." She leapt to her feet and ran into her bedroom. "Do I have time to shower?" She called to him.

"Not really."

"Bloody hell." She muttered. She performed the straightening spell on her hair for the second time ever. It always surprised her how different she looked. Make up was applied quickly but she was satisfied with her appearance.

She changed into an outfit not dissimilar from the one she'd worn round to Draco's the night before and walked back into the living room.

Her satisfaction rose as Draco stood up in surprise. "That took you only five minutes?" She grinned.

"Impressed." She asked, sidling up next to him.

"Very." he took her arm and they vanished from the apartment.

They appeared milliseconds later in a very dark alley between two skips, full of rubbish. "Lovely." Hermione commented sarcastically.

"We're in muggle London. It's hard finding anywhere we wouldn't be seen." Hermione was surprised.

"Muggle London?"

"I thought the skips would have given it away." He helped her out from between them, and walked with her on his arm around to the front of the restaurant.

"Wow." Hermione sighed. Draco had to admit the place did look amazing. A tall red brick building with ivy growing up the walls. There were at least three floors to it, with three balconies to each floor. They could see couples sat talking and laughing at the tables.

"You sure I'm in London?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes off the restaurant. Draco nodded. "It's certainly not the London I'm used to."

He led her through the front doors and they were hit by delicious smells and the sound of laughter and happy people talking merrily. Draco moved to the desk leaving Hermione to take in the atmosphere. "I have a table booked for two."

"Ah, Mr Malfoy. A pleasure as always." The man said. Draco called Hermione over and they followed the waiter up three flights of stairs to the top floor. It was quieter up here, ad there was a more romantic feel about the place, helped by the dim lighting and soft music. "We have given you a balcony table, but you're welcome to inside, it's rather chilly tonight."

Draco turned to Hermione. "Inside or outside?"

"Outside." she said at once. "I bet the views spectacular."

It was. Hermione could see right across to the Thames. There were lights glittering all around below her. It made her think back to watching Peter Pan for the first time when she was a little girl. She felt like Wendy.

"This is amazing, Malfoy." She thanked him.

"Isn't it."

"I still can't quite believe this is real, I mean look at me." She spread her arms out wide. "I've left home, broken up with my boyfriend of over a year, got a job, and now I'm having dinner, for the second time, with the one person I'd never have believed it possible I'd like."

"Was it really so hard to believe?" He asked her, accepting the bottle of wine the waiter had just bought over.

"Yes, yes it was." He poured them each a glass. "I mean, I'm best friends with Harry Potter, and your father's a deatheater. It's really quite an unlikely pairing."

"But I'm gorgeous, you're gorgeous, we're both intelligent, we're both very opinionated. Not to mention we're both stubborn as hell, and we both tend to be able to get exactly what we want."

"Well, when you put it like that." They ordered from the exquisite menu and their meals arrived only minutes later.

Hermione didn't know where to look. At the beautiful human being before her, or the beautiful view beside her, so she kept her eyes on her plate.

It was different to the night before. They ate practically in silence, but again it wasn't difficult. Their food was so good, and they were so comfortable together they didn't need to speak.

"Dessert?" Draco asked her as the waiter took away their empty plates. She nodded.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"Why me? I mean you know it as well as I do. You could have any girl you liked. So why me?"

"Because you're the one I fell for." Hermione felt her cheeks reddening but she did not look away. They sat there, staring into each others eyes, both such different colours, but strong and stunning in their own ways. Draco leant across the table and took hold of Hermione hands.

"Be mine?" He asked her softly. She smiled, such a real and happy smile and Draco knew what she would say.

"Yes, yes ok."

Their desserts arrived and the comfortable tension that had been around them was broken. They talked about school. The teacher's and lessons they missed, the friends they'd not yet seen, and even the things they'd done and said about one another at school. Though it had been a little painful at the time Hermione now saw how pathetic the rift between Griffindor and Slytherin had been and how laughable it was.

"God, I miss Hogwarts." Draco sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Hmm. Hermione nodded in agreement. "Can you imagine what everybody would say if they about… us?" Hermione asked him, more than a little tentatively.

"Huh, good thing they'll never find out."

The smile on Hermione's face vanished. "I'm thrilled to know I mean that much to you." She said quietly.

"Oh, come on, I didn't mean it like that." He snapped at her. Hermione huffed at him and turned to look again over at London, but it had lost some it's beauty somehow.

"I want to go home."

"No, Hermione, come on." She looked up.

"What did you say?" He looked at her, confused. "You called me Hermione."

"Am I not allowed to?"

"Yes, of course you can, it's just the first time."

"Well I think of you as Hermione now, so it just sort of slipped out. I can go back to Granger if you'd prefer?"

"No, Hermione's good, Draco." He smiled.

"So you'll stay."

"Yes." His smile widened. "But I do need to be getting back soon. I told myself I'd go and see Harry tonight."

"Ah, Potty himself." Hermione frowned, but chose to ignore him.

"We had a bit of a disagreement, that day you came to my flat when you were actually invited." She grinned. "But I need to sort it out."

"Must you?"

"Yes, he's my friend, Draco."

"Ok, well we'd better forget dessert then."

Draco offered her his hand and she took it, and together they walked down stairs and across floors to the restaurant foyer, where Draco paid. "Back to the bins?" Hermione asked.

"'Fraid so."

* * *

"Harry!" Hermione called through the seemingly deserted house. She was sure she'd shaken a few cobwebs from the ceiling. Then she heard a thudding from upstairs and Harry Potter appeared at the top of the stairs.

He beamed down at her. "I'm so pleased to see you." He ran over and embraced her. "I've been worried about you."

They went through to the kitchen, and a wave of memories of Mrs Weasley and Sirius cooking filled Hermione's mind. "I just came to say I'm sorry about our argument. It was stupid."

"You've seen sense about Malfoy then." Harry said, it wasn't a question.

"No, actually." Harry looked at her.

"You're not still seeing him?" Hermione shrugged.

"I've just come from having dinner with him." Harry face darkened and he moved away from her.

"I don't believe this, Hermione." Harry ran his hand through his hair in slight distress. "Have you thought about why he might be trying to get close to you?"

Hermione didn't bother to reply. She had no answer. "Why couldn't you have just done what Ron has done. Found someone on our side, who doesn't have such screwed up ideas." She glared at him.

"Please elaborate."

"He's engaged, Hermione. To that girl, Vicky. They're getting married at Christmas."

"What does Molly think about all this?"

"Oh she's thrilled. She says Vicky's a lovely girl. She was obviously a little upset after Ron dumped you, but she soon got over it." Hermione flinched.

"I don't have to listen to this."

"You're right, you don't." Harry said, gesturing to the door. "I'll talk to you again when you've seen sense."

* * *

_Those of you who read my last story, which I can not for the life of me remember the name of, but anyway, you will remember I killed off Ron and Harry very early on. This is why. When I write about them they tend to go a little bit evil. Oh well, I hope you're all enjoying. I love writing this. Writing this chapter is actually my reward for doing some revision this morning. _

_Please review (Please, please, please)_

_xxx_


	8. Back to School

_Well I've been at work all day today, so wrote this last night. Thanks for the lovely comments as ever. Love getting them and hearing what you think. avidreader: constructive critism is always welcome. As everyone has probably realised, there's a block on uploading documents which drove me to the brink of insanity. I kicked up a huge fuss, emailing three times, and afer a huge search of the net i found a way around it! So here you go, make my efforts worth it!_

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The flat above Eeylop's Owl Emporium felt empty and unwelcoming as Hermione arrived back in it. She switched the lights on but it didn't help much. There was a dull ringing noise vibrating around the room, and Hermione could not quite register what it was.

"Hello?" She picked up the mobile and pressed on the receive call button.

"Hermione, darling, how are you." It was Samantha. Hermione rolled her eyes despite herself.

"Mum, I'm really tired. I'm not in the mood to chat."

She could hear that her mum was hurt. "Ok, dear. Well just come and visit some time you're not busy. Daddy and I miss you." Hermione hung up.

She'd always felt bad that she felt no particularly intimate daughterly bond with her parents, but it was because of them that she would always be a lower class being to the others around her in the world she now lived in.

Harry's words reverberated around her sore head. She knew it was late, but she knew she could not sleep. It was Sunday tomorrow, she had no work to worry about.

She fell down onto her couch and curled up, her head resting on one of the purple cushions. She didn't want to think right now, not about Harry, not about Ron, and not even about Draco. It was too much right now.

Her phone started going crazy again. "I can't do this right now." She picked it up and looked at the caller ID. "Draco Malfoy". Draco has a mobile? How is he on my caller ID?

Hermione let the phone ring itself out and put it back down beside the sofa.

Why couldn't everything just be simple? All of a sudden her worst enemy was her best friend, her love was her hate and her old best friend hated her. It was so screwed up and she didn't know what to do.

It was gone three am before Hermione finally fell into a difficult sleep, and she woke unpleasantly suddenly only a couple of hours later. It was still dark but she could hear birds twittering garrulously just past her window.

"Ron's getting married." She still couldn't quite believe it. She wasn't sure if she felt better that at least he'd been in love with the girl he'd cheated on her with, or if it made it worse.

Confusion coursed through her as she got to her feet. She pulled the curtains open. There was nothing very spectacular about her view, only the rather dramatic change of scenery she got to see between the ramshackle shops of Diagon Alley and the clean, square brick shops of muggle London. "Ron's getting married."

She tried to find what was hurting her the most, the fact that Ron was engaged to Vicky, or what Harry had said about Draco, but found that she didn't really care about either of them. She was obviously upset, but she was never going to take Ron back, and so if he was happy, then what more could she want for him. As for Harry, she'd heard far worse insults about Draco coming from him.

"This is ridiculous." She waved her wand at her kettle and steam immediately issued from it. She tipped a spoonful of instant coffee into a mug and poured the water over it, stirring. She opened her miniscule fridge and took out milk and splashed it into the mug. She finished it off with two spoonfuls of sugar.

She took a sip and it immediately made her feel better. There was no sense in getting upset. She had her own life now. If Harry and Ron were not going to be a part of it, then so be it. It was their loss as far as she was concerned.

Her phone started to ring again. It was Draco. She wasn't sure why but she still didn't want to speak to him. There were things she needed to sort out before she did that.

* * *

Draco threw the muggle "fone" to the floor in frustration. "Why isn't she picking up?" He shouted. No reply, what a surprise. Draco had never understood why people talked to themselves, he'd always had a sneaky suspicion that someone replied, but he'd just proved that theory incorrect. 

He sighed heavily. Something had happened between her leaving him and getting home that meant she didn't want to speak to him. Potter.

But what could he do? He couldn't go and see Hermione, he'd only asked her to be his the night before. If he did that, he'd seem keen, nearly desperate. No, he'd have to come up with some other means to contact her.

It was early, he realised, looking at the muggle clock on his mantel, barely seven am. She was perhaps still asleep. Draco relaxed.

"Mornin', Malfoy." Draco started and whipped around.

"Blaise."

"You know, I always hated it that you insisted on sleeping naked when we shared a room together at school I was hoping you'd grown out of it but obviously not." Draco smirked.

"I'm sorry my dress sense bothers you. Now, what do you want." Blaise sighed, pulling clothes from Draco's wardrobe and throwing them to him. "Get dressed. We need to talk."

Ten minutes later Draco was sat opposite Blaise in his living room. "What is it you want to talk about Zabini?"

"Where's your wand, Malfoy?" Blaise asked, looking Draco up and down.

"In my room. Why? Will I be needing it?"

Blaise looked more at ease. "No, I'm not sure you're going to like what I'm about to tell you."

"Well get it over with." Draco urged him.

"I've swapped sides, Draco. I don't want to be on the dark side anymore." Draco couldn't help but smile as Blaise squeezed his eyes tight, ready to be struck.

Blaise opened one of his eyes, then the other. "Why are you smiling?" He asked suspiciously.

"Because I've changed sides too." Draco told him simply. "Ages ago." Blaise looked stunned.

"No you haven't."

"I have."

"You can't have."

"Oh but I have." Draco pulled off his sweater to show Blaise his lack of dark mark. "You think this would still be clean if I hadn't."

Blaise sat, staring at the skin on Draco's arm, thinking. "You're sure you've swapped sides?"

"Yes, Zabini, quite sure." Blaise nodded, finally seeming to accept it. "Beside." Draco said. "I'm not sure my girlfriend would be too pleased with me if I was a deatheater."

* * *

Hermione was stood outside Flourish and Blott's, a copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in her hand. She banged on the door again and finally heard movement inside. "We're closed!" A voice called and the door flew open. "Oh, hello, Hermione." Hermione smiled up at Mr Flourish. "Can I help you with something?" 

He invited her inside and they went inside the backroom. "You must understand, Mr Flourish, this was never going to be a permanent job for me."

"Oh I understand, Hermione, it's quite alright." He offered her coffee but she shook her head.

"I'd better be going really. This job just looks so, well not really good, just more of a good place to start." She gushed.

"You're going to be a great success some day, Hermione Granger." He took her hand and shook it. "And it's been a great pleasure knowing you." She blushed a little as she left the shop, getting a feeling, just for a second of what it must be like to be Harry.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me." Blaise said, for the sixth time. "You and Granger? Surely not." 

"You'd better believe it, my friend." Draco said, sitting back, his hands behind his head, feet resting on his coffee table.

Blaise sat, mouth open, gawping at his friend. "We've turned into a pair of good boys." He said.

"Of course we haven't, we're just playing for the better team."

"I thought Granger was with the Weasel." Draco frowned.

"They broke up, he screwed her around, was fucking some other girl while he made Hermione wait." Blaise breathed in sharply.

"Nasty." Draco nodded. "Well. I've got to go and meet Dumbledore himself. Got to tell him I want in on the Order." Blaise got to his feet.

"The what?"

"The good team." And with that, he was gone.

Draco stood up. "What the hell is the Order?" he thought. Maybe he ought to pay a visit to the grand wizard as well. He may as well. He knew it would make Hermione happy, and possibly make her trust a little stronger too.

"Ok." He muttered. "Back to school."

* * *

Hermione arrived at the Ministry of Magic and presented herself to the reception desk. "I'm Hermione Granger. I've come about a job interview in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement" The woman at the desk was smiling mercilessly. 

"Ok, third floor then, ask for Mr Crawley." Hermione thanked her, thinking how awful it must be to a receptionist, unconsciously rubbing her cheeks as she strode across the gargantuan hall.

The lift when it arrived was empty bar a few paper aeroplanes flying around the top. She stood inside and pressed the button for the third floor. The lift stopped at the first floor however, and a harassed looking, red haired man hurried in.

"Mr Weasley?" Hermione asked, and Arthur looked up, his face breaking into a wide smile.

"Hermione!" He embraced her distractedly. "It's so good to see you. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you." Hermione answered, trying to wriggle out of Mr Weasley clutches.

"Oh, sorry, dear." He apologised, releasing her. He shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Um, Hermione. I must apologise for Ron's behaviour."

"No, don't apologise, it's quite alright."

Arthur continued to look at his shoes, unable to meet Hermione's eye. "Believe me, Molly and I were very displeased with him when we found out what happened." The lift door pinged open, and the cool female voice started to list the various departments that could be found on the third floor.

"This is my stop." She said, leaving the lift.

"Ok, see you soon, I hope. At the wedding." Hermione didn't reply. She didn't want to start thinking about the wedding again. She heard the lift close as she turned away and started down the long corridor.

Finally she found the door marked "Department of Magical Law Enforcement" and pushed it open cautiously.

She was immediately hit with a babble of chatter and the sight of almost a hundred people talking. Nobody even glanced at her as she entered the room. "God, this is scary." She muttered under her breath as she headed further into the room. She could feel herself shaking with nerves.

"Excuse me." She asked the only silent person in the room, a dark haired, middle-aged woman wearing glasses. "Could you tell me where I can find Mr Crawley." The woman didn't look up from her paperwork, she just pointed, with an unnaturally long nailed finger to the door at the back.

Hermione felt a lump growing in her throat and gulped it down, shuffling towards the back of the room.

The big oak door was labelled with a gold plated sign reading "Crawley". Hermione tapped on the door lightly, but there was no reply. She knocked, still no reply. Finally she banged hard on the door and heard a voice inside. "That's what I like to hear! Come in!"

Hermione pushed open the door. What was inside surprised her. It was an untidy office, with boxes of paper standing in all corners, there was a shabby desk, and behind it, a shabby man. He was probably in his mid forties, he had slightly greying brown hair which looked as if he'd cut it himself, small, owlish spectacles which were bent peculiarly around his nose, and a grin wider than Hermione had ever seen plastered across his face.

He held out his hand. "Damon Crawley. It's ever so wonderful to meet you, Miss Granger, I've heard all about you." He gestured for her to sit down in the dishevelled and battered chair that sat before his desk.

She perched a little uncomfortably as Damon Crawley sat and stared at her, his smile never even flickering.

"We run a pretty casual shift here." He told her. Hermione felt her eyebrows shoot up and down in an instant. Wasn't this meant to be of the most important departments in the entire ministry? He laughed at her expression. "I know, I know, I hardly believe it myself, but there's very little to do here." Hermione didn't reply.

"I know all about you Miss Granger. You're bright, you have great initiative and determination, I think you'll go far here."

"Thank you."

"I don't want to start you off on anything too big though, after all, you're only four months out of school. We don't want the others getting jealous." he winked at her and she smiled weakly.

* * *

It hasn't changed at all. Draco couldn't help but think as he approached Hogwarts grounds. It was true he'd only been gone for four months, but he'd been expecting at least a few differences, but no. 

He pushed open the giant oak front doors and looked at his watch. Lunchtime. Perfect.

The giant hourglasses showed that Gryffindor was so far winning in the battle for house points. "Stupid, damn Gryffindor." Draco muttered. He was pleased to see that the door to the Great Hall was slightly ajar, he'd be able to look around and see if Dumbledore was there without drawing too much attention to himself.

There he was. Dumbledore was sat, as always, at the centre of the teacher's table. Draco took a deep breath and strode into the Great Hall.

He sense students turning to look at him and could hear their whispering. He hear a wolf whistle and worked hard to keep the smirk off his face. God it was a long way to the teacher's table, he'd never realised it before. Finally Dumbledore looked up from his plate, and when he saw Draco, he got to his feet.

Draco finally reached the staff table and took the hand being offered to him by Dumbledore. "Tough crowd." He joked and relaxed a little as Dumbledore laughed.

"I'm guessing you wish to speak to me away from such prying eyes." Dumbledore asked, and Draco nodded. They walked together through the house tables to the Entrance Hall, and suddenly, the journey didn't seem nearly as long.

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_God that was a long chapter. Ok, well you know what to do. And just to tell you, I have chapters up to 11 here ready, and I'm very proud of them, so get reviewing so I have reason to write more. I love writing, but I love hearing that you enjoy it more!_

_Please review_

_xxx_


	9. Very Fancy

_Ok, first off I must apologise for the threat of blackmail! I literally wrote that and only intended to put it up for five minutes, i exported the chapter and wrote in what should be written there now, but forget to replace it, because I'm stupid. So sorry about that, never meant to carry it out. Thankyou for the reviews though in any case. Hopefully more where that came from?

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Professor Dumbledore led Draco to a stone gargoyle and stopped. "Nougat" Dumbledore said.

"Oh, not thank you, I'm not too keen - "

"No, dear boy, it's the password." Dumbledore explained, and as he said it, the gargoyle leapt to one side and a large revolving staircase appeared. Draco stepped onto it, as did Dumbledore.

Strange as it seemed, Draco had never visited the headmaster's office before. But found himself almost wishing he had. The various contraptions surrounding the walls of the circular room ticked and whirred softly, pleasantly as he took a seat before Dumbledore.

Dumbledore watched as Draco looked around the room, smiling at the look of amusement across his face. "So, Mr Malfoy. What was it you came here to ask me?"

Draco turned back to the Professor and cleared his throat. "This morning I was visited by a friend of mine, Blaise Zabini." He saw Dumbledore nod in recognition and continued. "He told me he was coming to see you. He'd changed sides, as I have, and wanted to join something called the Order." He looked at the old man quizzically. "I was just wondering if you could explain to me what this is."

Dumbledore peered over his half moon spectacles at the young man before him, the tips of his fingers pressed together. "You have truly swapped sides have you, Draco?"

"Not meaning any disrespect, Sir, but would I be here if I hadn't?" One of Dumbledore's eyebrows flew up, and a smile creased the old face.

"The Order of the Phoenix was first started up during the uprising of Voldemort over seventeen years ago. A collection of those willing to assist me in fighting Voldemort and his deatheaters. Alas, many lives were lost and, of course, we were not the ones who beat him down." He paused, smiling at the tremor of disgust that crossed Draco's face at a mere hint of Harry Potter. "When it became apparent that Lord Voldemort was planning to return, the surviving member's and several new one's joined together, and since Voldemort's return to strength we have been collecting various pieces of information and trying to prevent any damage from being done."

Draco nodded. This was a lot to take in. "So who's in it?" He asked.

"That, of course, I can not tell you. How do I know you would not run away and tell Lord Voldemort or one of his followers" Draco's face fell. "Do not take it personally, Draco, there have been many good and seemingly loyal wizards and witches who have been corrupted by the power Voldemort has promised them in return for information."

"So, can I join?"

"This isn't a club you can join and get bored of and leave. This is an army, we may be headed for a war, Mr Malfoy."

"But can I join?" Draco asked again.

"There is no oath to joining the Order of the Phoenix. You must be trusted. I, as the founder, and dare I say, the leader, or the Order choose who is able to belong to it. I have already told you far too much to say that you can not join."

"Thank you." Said Draco. "But how do you know I can be trusted? This all seems far too easy."

"Well." Dumbledore sat up a little straighter and leaned forwards towards Draco. "For a start, you did not kill Mr Zabini when he came and told you about his plans to join. You also did not ensue any harm onto him, as, as far as I am aware, he is still perfectly healthy. Thirdly, you came all this way to see me. You know that I am, ahem, something of a great wizard and would be able to see straight through you, were you lying to me. And finally, I am an accomplished occlumense, and can see that you are being honest with me." He sat back again, smiling satisfactorily.

Draco sat, a little stunned. "Um, good. So can I know who's in it now?'

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows once more. "The entire Weasley family, Mr Potter and Miss Granger," Draco's heart leapt. "Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape, along with professors Flitwick, Sprout and Hadgid. Remus Lupin, you remember him, and well, the list goes, on but I think that's everybody you know."

"Thank you professor, this means a lot to me." Draco stood up, and shook Dumbledore's hand once more.

"If you ask her nicely, I'm sure Miss Granger will show you headquarters." Dumbledore said, looking straight into Draco's eyes.

* * *

Hermione was back in her flat, happily dancing around her living room. So what if her new boss was a bit of a creep, she had a new job, and a new career ladder to get climbing and she started next Monday!

There was a knocking at her door. "It's open." She called, settling herself down on her beanbag. The door opened and Draco stood there, smiling at her. She got to her feet again and ran over and put her arms around him.

"God, that's new." He said. Her hair smelt so good, and she felt so little stood by him like that. Draco weaved his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Good day too then I'm guessing." He felt her nod into his chest. "Should we sit down?" He asked her, and she let go.

She sat back down on the beanbag and he, a little grudgingly got on the couch. "You didn't answer my calls." He commented, noticing the "fone" on the floor beside his feet.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't feel much like talking."

"Any particular reason…?" Draco asked hoping she'd elaborate.

"Well I went to see Harry, and we got into a bit of a fight, over you actually, and anyway, he ended up telling me that Ron is marrying that girl I caught him with." She shrugged, trying to act as if it didn't bother her at all.

"Damn." He stood up and moved to sit next to her, putting his arm around her, bringing her to lay his head on her chest. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"It doesn't matter. Because now I have you." Draco sat, a little stunned, as did Hermione at her own boldness.

"Remind me to thank him next time I see him." He squeezed her shoulders, making her smile. "But you're day today was good? What happened?"

"Well, I quite my job."

"You did?" Draco looked down at her in surprise.

"Yeah, and then I got a new one, at the ministry." She told him gleefully.

"Hermione, that's wonderful!" He let go of her, standing up and heading towards her kitchen. "This calls for a celebration! Do you have anything to drink?" She told him where to find her wine, and pulled it out, along with glasses. He brought them over to the sofa and poured them each a glass.

Hermione drank and sighed happily. "What's even better is I'm working with a friend of mine." He looked at her enquiringly. "Ginny Weasley, you know, Ron's sister." Draco nodded. "So what was your news?"

Draco put his wine glass down on the floor and turned to face her. "I know about the Order." She just looked at him, obviously trying to act as if she didn't understand him. "I know you're in it, and Potter and Weasley."

"How did you find out?"

"Dumbledore told me."

"You've seen Dumbledore? Why didn't you tell me?" She was hurt, and not to mention worried.

"I went to see him earlier today, to tell him I've swapped sides. Then I asked if I could join your Order and he said I could." A smile started to break across Hermione's face.

"Draco, that's wonderful. It really is."

"He said you'd take me to the headquarters sometime too."

"Yes, but not just yet. Headquarters is where Harry lives. I don't think either of us is welcome there just now."

They passed the evening away, laughed, cuddling together, getting used to being with one another.

"It's time I got going." Draco said finally, getting to his feet and stretching, giving Hermione a glimpse of his toned and muscley stomach. "I'll see you tomorrow, after you finish work, ok?" She put his arms around her as Hermione stood up to and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Hermione could sense that he was going to kiss her. She tried to ready herself, flicking her hair out of her face and pouting her lips slightly. Nothing could have readied her for it though. She didn't have an enormous amount of experience at kissing boys, but she could tell she didn't need it to tell Draco would be amazing in anybody's books. She felt herself melt as his lips caressed hers. It didn't last long, a few seconds, maybe more, but it felt like years longer.

"God, Hermione." Draco said, breathlessly, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. "Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

She stared at him, surprised. "Me? That was you."

"It looks as if we may just be perfect for each other."

* * *

"Good morning, Miss Granger." Mr Crawley greeted her as she strode into the office on Monday morning. "May I introduce you to your closest work colleague, Miss Ginny Weasley." Hermione heard a squeal and Ginny ran towards her, flinging her arms around her old friend. "It would appear you've already met."

"My god, 'Mione, I can't believe we're going to be working together, this is going to make it so much more fun." Ginny let Hermione go, stepping back to look at her. "We have so much to talk about.

They gossiped as Ginny showed Hermione to her desk and sat down at the desk opposite her. The desk was completely bare.

"So, how come you dropped out of school?" Hermione asked Ginny, who shrugged.

"I went back in September and then realised just how few people I like in the school with your year gone." Ginny started to rifle through papers, stamping some, signing others. "It just wasn't the same. I mean, who were my favourite people at school? You, Harry, Dean, and… Ron, I suppose." She carried on, a little nervously.

"They seem lucky to have you." Hermione said, laughing and nodded at the huge pile of paperwork Ginny had already got through.

"It's a pretty easy job. Read stuff, if it looks boring, stamp it, if you think it's worth looking at, sign it and at the end of the day we give it to the upper classes."

"What happens to the stamped papers?"

Ginny laughed. "They go to dad's department."

* * *

"So, doing anything interesting this evening?" Ginny asked, pulling on her cloak at the end of the day.

"Going to see the boyfriend." Hermione told her, smiling as Ginny's mouth fell open.

"Who? Tell me who! Now!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Hermione told her, knowing it was true. "I'll explain tomorrow. It will give you something to look forward to."

"No fair." Ginny stuck out her bottom lip.

"That hasn't worked since you hit puberty, Gin." Hermione informed her. "What about you? What you up to?" The lift arrived and they both stood inside.

"I'm going to go and see Harry. We've been seeing a lot of each other recently." Ginny's face turned the same colour as her hair.

* * *

"Hello!" Hermione called out through Draco's mansion of an apartment. She stood nervously, straightening out her clothes and running her fingers through her hair. She smiled as the door to the kitchen was opened, and Draco came through it backwards, carrying a tray laden with food.

"Oh. Draco, you mustn't keep cooking for me."

"I didn't. That's the wonder of house elves." Hermione's eyebrows shot up in disapproval. "Oh, no, you're not really as disapproving of the whole house elf thing as everyone says are you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Ok." Draco said, dropping the tray and whipping out his wand and making it vanish before it even hit the floor.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean…" Hermione's voice faded away. Draco smiled and waved his wand at the table in the centre of the living room and the tray appeared upon it. "Very fancy."

* * *

_As you've probably all realised by now, I love gettiing reviews! Actually makes me smile everytime I get a new one, so make me happy, make my day, and review. I've got chapters 10 and 11 ready to go, but again i have to warn you, I'm back to school on Monday, which is my 16th birthday, so updates won't be so often. _

_Please review_

_xxx_


	10. Electric Blue

_I'm not in the least bit homophobic. I'm introducing my first OC in this chapter. He's called Michael and he's based on one of my best friends who is exactly like him, I'm just telling it like it is. This may be the last of my everyday updates for a while as I really have to get some revision done before school starts again on Monday (my birthday!). Love to reviewers, big hi to non reviewers (please review, you get love). Oh yeah, the height_ _thing, I knew I'd done something stupid!_

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"Have a good night last night with your mysterious lover?" It was the next morning and Ginny was already sat at her desk hard at work by the time Hermione arrived. She grinned and did not reply, pulling off her coat and sitting down too.

"Well, my night was absolute crap." Ginny told her. "I went to Grimmauld Place but Harry wasn't there. Can't think where he's gone." Hermione looked up from her first sheet of parchment.

"Harry's gone?"

Ginny blinked at her. "Well, I can't really say he's vanished, but as far as I know he hasn't left since that time he went to go and see you."

They sat in silence, both trying to imagine where Harry Potter might be. Ginny's mind was racing with images of Harry with some other girl, blonde and busty with no brain, whilst Hermione was thinking of blackened rooms and blood, dark magic and death. "I'll go and see if he's there during lunch." Ginny said quietly.

Hermione started to work properly, reading though rolls of parchment, stamping any that mentioned the words "muggle appliance", and signing all the others. "Hermione." She looked up to see Ginny was watching her. "I really need to talk to you about… Ron."

Hermione did not answer at first, carefully stamping a sheet describing the havoc a biting curtain rail was causing in Yorkshire. "You can."

"Well, first off, I want to apologise for what he did to you. I know it's a bit late, but I was on your side." Ginny gushed.

"Thank you, that means a lot." Hermione could only whisper.

"If it makes you feel any better, Ron's marrying a complete bitch." Ginny chuckled to herself and Hermione smiled. "I hate her. She's worse than Fleur."

"Oh, surely not." Hermione teased.

They spent the rest of the morning ridiculing Vicky and Ron, though Hermione couldn't help but notice Ginny's laugh growing high and higher pitched as lunchtime grew closer.

"What if he isn't there?" She asked Hermione in a panic as she put on her cloak, clutching at her friend's arm.

"Then we shouldn't worry. You may just be catching him at bad times." Ginny embraced her, and was gone.

Hermione left the office alone and went to find something to eat. The day before, Ginny had taken her to a café, but Hermione did not know how to find it again. As she left the lift on the fifth floor, at which the women who's voice reverberated around it had vaguely mentioned coffee, she heard a camp male voice ring out behind her. "You look lost, sweet pea, can I help you find your way."

She turned around to see a man who had been in the lift with her looking at her. He held out his hand. "Michael Stringly." He introduced himself as she took it. "And who might you be?"

Hermione fought hard not to giggle at his flamboyancy. "Hermione Granger."

"Oooh, well aren't you precious." He squealed, and Hermione couldn't help it, she left out a laugh. "I know all about you, of course, and your little escapades with Mr Harry Potter." He took her arm and almost dragged her down the corridor. "You must let me take you to lunch."

Michael Stringly, Hermione discovered, was twenty five years old, lived in Cornwall and hated the city. He worked as a receptionist for the auror office and was currently living with his boyfriend, a rich pureblood wizard who's great-great-great-grandfather had co-founded Gringotts.

"But I'm half blood of course, who isn't these days?" Michael sipped his pumpkin juice and winked at her. "So what about you, Hermione? Is there a special man in your life right now?" He asked, for the first time since they'd met, offering her a chance to speak.

Hermione began talking very fast, worried if she didn't the chance would go. "I guess so. I mean we haven't been seeing each other very long. I'm not even sure how serious it is, but yeah, I guess he is sort of special." Michael let out a piercing shriek which caused half of the canteen to turn and stare at them. Hermione sank down in her seat but Michael didn't seem to notice.

* * *

"Was he there?" Hermione asked, spotting Ginny sat at her desk, her head in her hands. She shook her head and Hermione felt a dead weight drop in her stomach.

"We'll find him Ginny. I bet you he'll be there tomorrow." Hermione patted her sympathetically, and Ginny finally looked up, taking a deep breath.

"So anyway, are you going to tell me who this man is or not?" She asked, bravely.

Hermione, twirled her hair around her fingers, not able to help a smile playing across her lips. "You really want to know?"

"Well I can tell you really want to talk about it, and yes, I do." Ginny put her elbows on her desk and leant on her hands, taking in the dreamy expression on Hermione's face.

"You're not going to believe me when I tell you."

"Try me."

"Ok." Hermione paused, taking a deep breath. "You're going to hate me for this but it's Draco Malfoy." Ginny let out a scream not all that different from Michael's, and it merited a similar reaction. "I'm surprised Harry didn't tell you actually." Ginny's screeching stopped at the mention of Harry and she lost her energy.

"So, um, why? I mean, it's Malfoy, dickhead beyond the level of all other dickheads."

"You know, Ginny, I have no idea how he did it, but somehow, he just won me over."

"But he's Malfoy! Gorgeous, yes I agree, but how do you put up with the personality?" She clumsily stamped a sheet of parchment and missing it almost completely.

Hermione laughed, a little too high to be natural. "We're not exactly serious yet." She signed a form without even reading it. "We've just been out a few times together over the past couple of months."

Hermione chose to walk from the Leaky Cauldron down to her flat that evening. It was a mild evening considering it was nearly December and she wanted to make the most of it. She bid goodbye to Tom, the now rather decrepit barman, and began the trek.

She tried to gather her thoughts logically. Was it really just attraction that was keeping her attached to Draco right now? Was he really as charming as she'd convinced herself he was? Oh sure, he was rich and knew how to spend him money on expensive food and service. She pulled her cloak tighter around her as she passed Quality Quidditch Supplies. Determined not to look up at the window she moved on quickly.

When she finally reached Eeylop's Owl Emporium and had let herself in, she found that, once again, someone had been in her flat without her permission. She tiptoed quietly across the darkened living room towards the light on over her kitchen area.

Hermione,

Hope your first day as a real employee was good. I chose not to see you tonight to test how long I could stand to be without you, after all, you're a full time working woman now and not so easily available.

Hermione smiled as she read, playing the words in her head in Draco's sneering, sarcastic tones, they fitted so badly, but she knew it was how he'd want her to take it. She took the note from her kitchen surface and seated herself on the couch. She read on

So anyway, I guess I'm just warning you not to be too surprised if you find me sat on the floor in your bedroom or on your sofa at about two tomorrow morning. I miss you.

I know you wouldn't expect me to say this, it sure feel's weird thinking it as I stand here in your pathetic excuse for a kitchen, but I just want to say, I'm so happy that you're mine, and I'm yours.

Draco x

* * *

Draco turned around at the faint popping sound and was almost bowled straight over. Hermione had one hand running through his pale blonde hair, the other was up the back of his shirt. Odd, he thought but he liked it.

"Hello." He said, but was immediately silenced as she slammed her lips against his.

Jumping at the opportunity, Draco moved her over to the leather couch, and laid her down upon in, moving on top of her. They kissed furiously, neither had known anything like it before. Pure, raw passion, kept clean, but feeling oh so satisfying.

Eventually they broke apart, both breathing heavily. They lay down together, Hermione's head resting on Draco's chest as she fiddled with the material of his shirt, his fingers twirling her hair.

"I'm guessing you got my letter then." Draco said finally.

Hermione giggled, but did not reply, running hands up his shirt and across his chest. "We're both very out of character you know." Draco commented casually. "Who'd have thought I'd be the one being felt up on my couch?"

She hit him playfully, and he caught her hands through his shirt. "Don't go touching what you can't afford." He told her, his voice sneering once more.

"I don't even know why I like you." She said, bringing her hands out from under his shirt and moving to the opposite side of the sofa, folding her arms sulkily as she did so.

He moved along with her, but did not touch her. He knew not to test women when you'd upset them. "Tell me how your day went."

She sighed. "If you really want to know, it was ok. Ginny and I still get on really well. I met this gay receptionist who took me for lunch and was really funny." She paused, laughing at the disgusted look on Draco's face.

"Gay? God, he must have a hard time. Gay's aren't exactly widely accepted even nowadays in a magic community." (A/N again, I'm not homophobic)

Hermione scoffed. "Can't see why not. You purebloods are positively medieval." She quietened a little as she remembered what her and Ginny had spent the major part of the day discussing. "Do you want to go and see Harry with me?" She asked, a little tentatively.

"I thought you said we weren't welcome at headquarters because wonder boy didn't like us."

"We're not going to headquarters, I have to go and see if Harry's ok. Ginny said he's been missing for a few days."

Draco slouched back into the sofa, his arms spread wide. "Like I care."

Hermione stood up swiftly. "You're not going to come?"

"Nope."

She moved over so she was stood right in front of him. A little nervously she moved forwards, resting her knees on either side of him on the sofa, pushing his shoulders back. He narrowed his eyes at her, his trademark smirk back in play. "Now, now Granger, I thought you were on a Potty hunt."

"And if I get into trouble?" She asked, finally setting herself down so she was basically straddling him.

"You know where I'll be."

She leaned forwards, brushing her lips against his in a touch that was not a kiss. "You're unbelievable."

Hermione moved herself off of him, brushing the creases out of her clothes. "Why thank you." Draco said.

"It wasn't a compliment." And with that she strode out of his flat and down the stairs.

* * *

Grimmauld Place was deafly silent, if possible more beaten and battered looking than she'd last left it, and apparently deserted. Hermione slinked across the hallway, an unfounded fear that were she to make any more sound, or cry out, someone might reply, someone that was not Harry.

She crept through to the kitchen only to find it empty. There were dirty plates piled high, but she did not dare set them washing themselves. The place was ice cold and she wished now more than ever that Draco had had the decency to come with her.

Suddenly she heard a sound above her head, a soft moaning. Dread coursed furiously through her body and she stopped still, paralysed in fright. Then she heard faint footsteps directly above her head, pacing. Hermione found she could move once more, and tiptoed out of the kitchen and back to the hallway.

Once more she heard a moan, a little louder as it came down the stairs. Though she desperately didn't want to, Hermione ascended the first step.

She started to realise just how heavily she was breathing as she reached the first turning in the stairs. She cross it silently, holding her breath. There was another cry, it was someone in pain. A lot of pain. Fear seemed to be flowing through her veins rather than blood, but the goodness in her told her she would help them.

She reached the first floor landing and listened. The footsteps were louder, on her level, and she could fear a frantic whispering too.

She followed the voice, it's sallow tones sounded familiar but she couldn't place it. She took a step forward and the floorboard beneath her foot creaked. The whispering stopped.

Hermione lifted the foot on the damn floorboard and kept going. There was no longer any pacing, nor whispers, but the soft whimpering continued.

The door was finally in front of her. Hermione tried to summon up bravery, but her stomach had turned to lead, and her before warm blood had turned to ice. Nevertheless, she pushed open the door.

"Harry." She ran forward. Harry Potter was stretched out painfully, what seemed like a thousand cuts spilling blood onto the wooden floor which was seeping it up thirstily. He let out a cry when he saw Hermione, panic written across his blood stained face.

"No."

Before Hermione could even reach him. Before he even had time to warn her, a dark, hooded figure stepped out of the shadows.

Hermione did not see the face, but recognised instantly the pale, long blonde hair, finally placing the cold malicious voice she'd heard in the corridor as an incantation was uttered.

Before Hermione Granger could save anybody, a wand was brought out from under the black cloak. Electric blue sparks skittered across her eyes, and, as if in slow motion, she fell to the ground.

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Please review

xxx


	11. Saint Mungo's

_Yay! Lovely lovely reviews, it' actually makes me so happy that you all are enjoying this. Keep it up, I love hearing from you! Here's your next chapter to spur you on!_

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Draco Malfoy entered Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries feeling worse than he'd ever done in his whole life. It was a pain so unbearable so was completely at a loss as to what to do with himself. In one hand he held a wilting bouquet of giant daisies, in the other a small bag.

Hilda Hetherings looked up as the boy approached her desk. She looked deep into the lost blue eyes as they seemed to stare straight through her in shock. She smiled at him sympathetically as he stood before her, trying to catch his voice, a bustling and noisy line beginning to form behind him. "I think it's fifth floor you need, I'm guessing your recovering from some paralytic charm gone wrong". she pointed to the lift but he shook his head profusely.

"No." He dropped the flowers onto the desk, the bag onto the floor and leant desperately towards her. "My girlfriend's been hurt. I don't know what's the matter with her but I need to see her." She flinched a little as a menacing look flew across the increasingly cold eyes, the blue turning to grey.

Hilda gave herself a little shake and sat up a little straighter. "Can you tell me this girl's name?"

Draco stood back up, picking the bag up off the floor. "Hermione Granger."

"Ah, the girl Albus Dumbledore bought in earlier today." She smiled, a painfully wide smile that made Draco grimace. "Third floor."

"Thank you." Draco retrieved his flowers from the desk and half walked, half ran towards the lift.

Inside was a variety of painfully afflicted looking people, including a man who appeared to have a broom sticking out of his head, and a boy who's ear seemed to be whistling. Draco crammed himself inside, for once not caring about the people with whom he was being forced to touch, so long as this lift took him to Hermione.

The lift played depressingly cheerful music overhead as they moved painfully slowly upwards.

Thy finally reached the third floor and a female voice, similar to the one who lived in the ministry of magic lifts, spoke. "Level three: Magical viruses and charm related injuries. Fatal wounds and…"

"Bloody hell" Draco cried, sprinting out of the lift and down the whitewashed corridor. "You gotta help me." He grabbed the arm of a passing healer who spun around shocked. "Can you tell me," Draco tried to catch his breath. "Where Hermione Granger is."

A sympathetic expression crossed the healer's face. He told Draco to follow him, and led him further up the corridor, the a door marked "Fatal Wounds." "Oh no."

The healer pushed the door open slowly to reveal a grim scene. "Professor Dumbledore's there with her now." He whispered to Draco, holding open the door as Draco took in the sight before him.

Beds ran the length of the long hall. Each bed divided by a semi-transparent screen. Draco slowly moved up the ward, realising that every occupant of a bed was unconscious. He passed several families, huddled around a patient. Some were crying, wiping their faces on handkerchiefs, but others, and these were the one's Draco found most upsetting, were sat chatting away to their friend or relative, seemingly unaware they were receiving no replies.

He reached Hermione at last and gave a sharp intake of breath as he looked down at her. To one side of her was a screen, like that around every other bed, but on the other there was no screen, and another bed lay beyond it, on which lay Harry Potter.

"What happened here." He breathed. Hermione's face was ghostly white, marred only by cuts across her cheeks, and one across her blackened eye that shone scarlet. His eyes drifted further down her body, taking in the cuts all down her arms, the veins showing blue through the skin. A particularly deep wound glistened wet and bloody down her calf.

Draco sank into a seat positioned by her bed. "We have yet to find out." Professor Dumbledore appeared at Draco's side, holding a steaming mug. "Forgive me for leaving her, Draco."

He was unable to answer. Dumbledore sat in the seat beside Draco's. "I found them in this state late last night." He sipped from the mug. "The healer's were up all night working on them. Mr Potter over there," Dumbledore gestured over to the perfectly still black haired boy on the other side of the cubicle. "we know has been hit repeatedly with various minor curses, as well as the cruciatus curse. However, Miss Granger…" He trailed off, not able to find words that would do anything to console the man beside him.

"It's my fault." Draco found it difficult to get the words out. "It's my fault she's here." He felt tears forming in his eyes but blinked them back ferociously.

"Dear boy, it was nobody's fault - "

"It was. She asked me to go with her. She said. She said what if she got into trouble, but I still said no." Draco gulped back the lump forming rapidly in his throat. "I said no, just because it was Potter's place, just because I couldn't be bothered to face Potter." His head fell into his hands and he couldn't stop the tears bursting from him.

Dumbledore sipped again from his mug of tea. "I doubt it would have made much difference if you'd been there. There'd just be another patient the poor healers would have to concentrate on. In practise it's better you weren't there."

"I could have stopped her."

"Miss Granger is a very determined, brave but above all, stubborn woman. I highly doubt you'd have been able to stop her."

Draco blinked back the last of his tears, wiping his eyes as inconspicuously as he could on the sleeve of his robes. He stood and dropped the pathetic daisies into a glass vase beside her bed, and used his wand to fill it with water. "I bought some of her things." He told Dumbledore, indicating the bag sat next to his now vacant chair.

Dumbledore's voice dropped to a soft but steady whisper. "Draco, Hermione isn't going to be waking up too soon."

"Oh right, of course." Draco said, a little hysterically. He waved his wand at it distractedly and it vanished.

"Sit down, Mr Malfoy." Dumbledore pointed to the chair beside him, and Draco flopped down into it. His eyes were wide, and staring.

"It's all my fault."

"It is not, Draco!" Dumbedore's patience wavered. "I assure you. Nothing you could have done would have prevented this from happening." Draco didn't reply, just stared straight forward. "I must return to Hogwarts." Dumbledore got to his feet and bid Draco goodbye as he left the ward.

Draco moved closer to Hermione. He ran his fingers shakily through her soft brown hair, and ignored the tear that ran smooth down his face. "I'm so sorry." He told her, leaning over her and kissing her almost pale blue face. "I'm so, so sorry."

He tried best he could to lace his shaking fingers through her deathly still ones, trying unconsciously to put some of his warmth into them. "I love you." He told her, realising it himself for the first time.

* * *

There was no news of an improvement in Hermione's condition. Draco sat beside her still seemingly lifeless body a week later, her hand in his. The same healer who had first shown Draco where to find Hermione appeared at his side. He put a hand tentatively upon Draco shoulder. He jumped and turned to him.

"I'm sorry, I just came to explain to you what is going on." Draco kissed Hermione's forehead and sat down in one of the chairs he now saw as a second home. The healer sat beside him. "I'm afraid we're still at a loss as to what's wrong with her. We've tried everything that would not hurt her but we fear it's some sort of new jinx or curse."

Draco let out a deep breath, not knowing what to say or even think. "We don't think she's going to die, I can tell you that much." His deep breath turned a sigh of heavy relief.

"You're sure?"

"No, I'm sorry to say I'm far from sure." Draco's eyes widened. "But her condition is stable, and though it may not look it, she's fighting amazingly well."

"Figures, she's always been a fighter." Draco smiled his first smile in a week.

"Well we just have to hope she keeps it up." The healer left, leaving Draco alone with Hermione once more.

Draco leant back over her, resuming his normal position, hand wrapped around hers, hand stroking her increasingly straw like hair. "Hear that?" He asked her softly. "You just got to keep fighting and it'll all be ok."

He walked over to Potter's bed, where the boy was lying still, just like Hermione. His face, however, so unlike hers, was normal colour, his breathing obvious, and his cuts healing. He was just asleep. "You too, Potter." Draco told him gruffly, no longer able to look at Harry's face. "I may not like you very much, but god knows we need you."

Harry stirred a little in his sleep, a frown creasing his face. "Yeah, I hate you too." Draco said casually, turning slowly back to Hermione.

"I'm so sorry." He told her, smoothing her curls away from her face. He'd told her every single day since he'd first been to see her, but he still felt no less guilty. He looked at his watch. "I've got to go." He leant forward and kissed her silently. "I'll be back tomorrow."

He started to move away and then turned back, as he'd done everyday. "I love you."

* * *

"Morning, Heather!" Draco called over to the receptionist cheerfully as he strode through the hospital foyer. She waved at him merrily.

He chatted away to people in the lift, some looking at him gloomily, others humouring him answering, equally as cheerfully. "This is me!" He told them all happily, scrambling out of the lift at the third floor. The people who had been surrounding him felt their faces fall in sympathy and sudden understanding as the woman's voice informed them all what could be found on this floor.

The long "Fatal Wounds" ward was as silent as ever. Draco waltzed down it until he reached Harry and Hermione's cubicle. "Morning Potter." He waggled his fingers patronisingly at Harry who pulled a fake smile across his face in reply.

"Malfoy." Harry watched curiously as Draco carried out the ritual he'd been doing the past two weeks. He rid the vase by Hermione's bed of it's still semi-fresh flowers and evaporated the water using his wand. He dropped a new bouquet into the vase, bouquets of which had become increasingly more beautiful as the days had passed, and filled the vase with fresh water. He then pulled his chair over to Hermione's bedside and sat himself down, by which time the cheery visage had completely gone.

"Morning, my love." Draco whispered. He brushed the hair out of her face. It killed Harry to admit it, but Malfoy took amazing care of his best friend, and it seemed completely genuine. "Hope you're doing ok today." He ran a finger along a vein her arm, worrying about how faint the colour was.

"It's ok." Harry called over, spotted the frowning and concerned expression on Draco's face as he peered at Hermione's wrists. "It's a treatment they're trying on her. They're washing out her blood to see if there's something in there keeping her like this." Draco stared at Harry as if he were mad.

"Are they crazy?" He yelled. "They'll kill her!"

"Hey, calm down." Harry sat up a little straighter on his pillows in alarm at Draco's raised voice. A hush fell across the already quiet ward. "It's working."

"It is?"

"Yeah, she moved this morning." Draco's face was suddenly lit by a smile. He felt tears well up in his eyes, but fought hard to keep them back. There was no way he'd be crying in front of Potter, no matter what circumstances it was under.

"She did?" Harry nodded and turned back to the book he'd been pouring over. "That's so good to hear." Draco whispered to Hermione. "You're getting better."

He stroked her still ghostly face. "I don't know what you've done to me, Granger. I never cared about anything before, and now I don't ever want to leave you." He took her hand and bought it up to his lips, kissing her fingers softly.

There was warmth in the fingers that had not been there the day before, and it made Draco smile. "Ah, Mr Malfoy, good to see you again." Draco got to his feet as Dumbledore extended his hand in greeting. "I'm not kissing your hands, Sir." Draco informed him, grinning.

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "No, that's quite alright, you can save that for her. I hear she's doing splendidly." Draco nodded delightedly.

"Potter says she moved this morning, and she's getting warmer." Dumbledore walked around the bed and took Hermione's other hand in his.

"She is, indeed." He placed Hermione's hand carefully back onto the bed before moving to see Harry.

Draco laughed as he looked down at Hermione. "Hear that, even he thinks you're getting better. I'm going to go and talk to him and Potter, but I'll be back in a minute ok?" He kissed her cheek and went to Harry's bedside.

"Wow, all these visitors, you'd think I was famous or something." Draco rolled his eyes at Potter's lame joke. "How long do you think it'll be before she wakes up, Professor?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore pondered. "I'm really not the one to ask, but to be honest I believe I could give as good an estimate as anybody." He glanced over at Hermione. "I'd say maybe a few more days, but I could be wrong." Harry seemed satisfied by the answer completely.

"Professor, could I ask you something?" Draco looked at the old man, feeling like a school boy again.

"You may."

"How did you find Hermione and Potter so quickly? I mean, as I far as I can gather they were alone in a deserted house, bar their attacker of course. And come to that, do you," he looked to Harry. "know who attacked you?"

"So many questions." Dumbledore looked to him thoughtfully. "Well, my answer is simple. As you know, Grimmauld Place is headquarters to the Order, I check on it, and Harry every week, luckily I came by the evening the two were attacked. I believe I may have just missed their attacker."

"Great timing." Draco muttered darkly.

"Indeed." Dumbledore's mouth twitched.

Harry sat up off his pillows. "To be honest, Malfoy, I don't remember much of the evening at all. I remember a lot of pain, and seeing Hermione fall, but the rest is sort of blurry."

"Whoever attacked them has to have known where headquarters' are found. He, or she, could not have just come to look for it because it is obviously unplotable."

"Then who - "

"Who ever it was is either a member of the order, or was told by a member of the Order where to find headquarters." As Dumbledore said this, Harry turned to stare at Draco.

"Keep your evil eyes to yourself, Potter. I don't even know where headquarters is myself yet. Can't exactly go telling some nutter about it, not that I would if I knew." He shrugged.

The three men stood in silence, each pondering who the attacker could have been. The obvious answer was Voldemort, but had been years since he'd last been heard of, and it wasn't his style.

"A deatheater?" Harry suggested.

"It's starting to look likely, but who?" Dumbledore turned to them both. "I'm afraid I'll have to get back to the two of you. I must return to the castle." And he left."

United in their thoughts, Draco and Harry could have appeared to be almost friends. "Most of the death eaters are in hiding, or dead. They had no way of telling I'd be unable to remember them, it would be suicide." Harry said.

"Well they're crazy, the lot of them, believe me, I'd know. Who knows what they're thinking." Draco looked over at Hermione and sighed.

"She'll be ok, Malfoy, I'm watching over her all the time." Harry assured him.

"I just wish she'd wake up so I can tell her how sorry I am."

Harry couldn't think of what to say, so stayed quiet. He watched as Draco went back over to Hermione and kissed her lightly. He watched as he whispered, the same three words to her as he had done everyday. "I love you." And as Harry watched, he could have sworn that as Draco turned to leave, Hermione's eyes flickered open.

* * *

_So, last day of the holidays! I have no idea if anyone has the same holidays as me, but think of me tomorrow, having to get up early when no one else in my family does (my sis and brother have a teacher training day) and having to go to school where_ _I will be shouted at because I haven't doe much homework. I don't know if I'll get a chance to update tomorrow. I'll possibly try when my party ends so it'll be about 11 (I'm off for a meal with 13 of my friends, wish you could all come). So it'll be late my time by the amazing thing is it may not be your time, I don't know! So review, make me in a good enough mood to stare out the teachers and I'll try my hardest to update tomorrow! _

_Please review_

_xxx_


	12. Drinking Buddies

_Thanks for all your lovely and informative reviews, love getting them all.

* * *

_

"Where is she?!" Demanded, seizing a healer by the collar. "I left her right there." He pointed to the bed. "Yesterday, apparently on the verge of death, and now she's gone." He watched the healer tremble. "I want to know where she is."

Draco finally put the healer back on his feet as he started trying to speak. "She…" He spluttered. "She went, she went to the toilet."

"She what?"

Hermione stood shakily before the mirror. She was only now viewing the damage that had been done to her. The deeps gashes across her face and limbs were finally beginning to heal, forming a crusty brown layer. Her skin still looked transparent and her hair was wilder than ever and so dirty. She shuddered. Not a pretty sight.

"Miss Granger?" A healer poked her head around the side of the door. "Ah, there you are. You have a visitor."

Hermione's hands instantly flew to her hair, trying desperately to tame it. "I wouldn't worry." The healer chuckled. "He ought to be used to how you look by now." Hermione walked with some difficulty out of the bathroom, helped by the healer.

"You!" She yelled, seeing Draco stood before her, smiling warmly. "What the hell are you doing here?" Confusion shot across Draco's face.

"Wha - "

Hermione shook her head, eyes shut tight. "You're the one who attacked us, how do you have the nerve to be here."

Draco stood, stunned. "I think you're a little…"

"I'm not confused. It was you. I remember." she ran passed him, over to her bed, where she lay down, burying herself in her quilt and pillows. Harry got up and sat down at the foot of her bed, gesturing to Draco to stay where he was.

"Hermione, it wasn't Draco. It can't have been." Hermione looked up at him, her eyes stubborn.

"I know what I saw." She shot Draco an evil look and he flinched. "It was him."

"It can't have been, Hermione." Harry told her soothingly. "Did you ever tell him where to find headquarters?" She shook her head, her eyes fixed on Draco. "Well then. Grimmauld Place is unplotable. He wouldn't have been able to find it on his own, and no one else in the Order would have told him." He leaned forward so his lips were as close to her ear as possible. "He loves you, Hermione. He's told you that every single day you've been in here."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "That's who it was?" Harry looked at her questioningly. "Yesterday, when I first woke up, I thought I heard someone telling me they loved me."

"Yeah, that was him."

"And you've let him be here everyday without kicking up a fuss." Harry wrinkled his nose at her.

"I suppose he's ok when you get talking to him." He waved Draco over.

Draco put a hand lightly on Hermione's shoulder, and she instantly sprung off the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around him, nearly knocking him over. "I'm guessing you've realised it wasn't me then."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She told him, kissing him all across his face.

"There's something I didn't need to see." Harry muttered, turning away.

Draco finally got her to stop kissing her and held her, looking into her eyes. "I need to tell you how sorry I am."

Hermione felt limp and delicate in his arms, he laid her down on the bed as if she were a precious doll. "I didn't come with you that night. I could have stopped -"

She pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Draco, really, I hardly even remember that. It would have had no effect if you'd come."

"But look at you." He gulped, a lump forming in the back of his throat once more. "You're so ill."

Hermione stifled a small giggle. "What's this? Draco Malfoy crying over a muggle born, who'd have thought it."

"Yeah, well keep it to yourself." She moved over on her bed, pulling Draco up to lie beside her. She sat up so he could slide his arm under her neck.

Draco looked down at the girl beside him. She looked so fragile he was scared he might crush her in his arms. Her skin was still that same transparent blue, though a little colour was starting in her face. Her hair could do with washing, and possibly a cut, but as he lay there, her grinning happily next to him, he thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful.

* * *

A week later, Hermione was allowed to leave the hospital. Harry, having left two days after Hermione had woken up went with Draco to bring Hermione home. Draco had made it very clear that he was not going to let Hermione go back to her own flat, so they were taking her back to Draco's. 

"You touch one hair on her head…" Harry threatened through a forced smile as they entered the ward.

"I'll gladly accept any harm you wish to do me. I may even help a bit."

Hermione was stood by her bed wearing normal clothes. The muggle jeans she wore were bunched up it the top as they were held by a belt, they were so big. She looked like a skeleton, stood there in front of them, in too big clothes, barely able to the bag Draco had finally been able to give her a week ago. Her hair was pulled back, and she wore makeup on her eyes. She smiled when she saw them both, had she felt that she could, she would have run to meet them, but instead she had to wait for them to come to her.

She greeted them both fondly, kissing each on the cheek as she embraced them. "I'm so pleased to be going home!"

"Nah, I don't know." Draco stretched. "I think I'm going to miss this place." Hermione slapped him gently around the arm.

"Serves you right for admitting yourself! At least you got to go home once in a while. I've lived here for a month."

"Ah, cut in Harry. "But the first three weeks do not count, you had no idea you were here." Draco nodded in agreement.

"Fair point."

* * *

"Sooo…" Harry looked around Draco's flat, his eyebrows somewhere near his hairline. "This is where the infamous Draco Malfoy lives." Draco scoffed. "No, I'm flattered to be allowed in."

"You should be, Potter." Draco muttered.

Hermione came in last, tired after having to apparate even though both boys had helped her. "Can you to please not start fighting the minute we get through the door. Civility, that's all I ask." She curled up on the leather couch, closing her eyes.

"You want to sleep?" Draco asked her sweetly.

"Please, but I want to find you both still here and both still alive when I wake up." Her voice drifted sleepily as her eyelids started to flicker.

Draco beckoned to Harry and he followed him through to Draco's kitchen. "She might be out for hours." Harry commented, looking through the half open door at the sleeping Hermione.

Draco reached up into a cupboard and brought out a bottle of fire whiskey. "In that case we'll be needing this."

They stood around the kitchen, neither wanting to be the first to suggest they return to the living room. A silent, unannounced competition between the two of them soon became apparent. Draco took a drink from his glass, Harry took a deeper one. At this, Draco downed the rest of his glass, as did Harry. Draco poured them each a new glass.

"You know what, Potter." Draco slurred happily after two hours had gone by. "You're really not so bad."

"I could say the same to you." Harry grinned dumbly, raising his glass to the blonde hair man sat opposite him.

Blaise Zabini appeared at Draco's shoulder. His dark has was swept about, more untidy than it'd ever been seen in public before. His usually dark skin looked drained. "What the hell…" Blaise surveyed the scene before him. "Well I've officially seen it all." He proclaimed as Draco and Harry both looked up at him stupidly, their eyes out of focus, mouths hanging a little open. "Remind me never to let the two of you drink again in each other's company."

"Blaise!" Draco cheered. "Why do you look like that? What have you been doing?"

"Oh, you know, just battling the forces of evil whilst you two have the night off." Blaise quickly grabbed at Harry as he made towards the floor.

"Anything good?" Harry asked. In usual Potter fashion, Draco thought.

Blaise shrugged. "Not really. Few deatheaters roaming the streets, but not really doing any harm so we couldn't do anything." He watched bemusedly as Harry's eyes rolled a little into his head. "I really think the two of you ought to sit down. It's midday for Christ's sake."

"What you talking about? We're fine!" Draco shouted a little too loudly.

"That's it. Potter, go home, now. Ginny should be there, she said she was going to stick around at yours for a bit after we came off duty." Harry saluted him, yawning, and was gone. "Now for you, my friend." Blaise shifted Draco arm about his neck, and half carried him through to the living room. "Hmm, not the sofa then." He adorned a Draco style smirk as he spotted the girl asleep on the couch.

"Oh yeah, Hermione's staying here." Draco added unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I'd sort of spotted that, mate." He disposed Draco into a matching leather armchair and kneeled down in front of him. "Do you want her to wake up to find you like this?" Draco shook his head childishly. "Then sober up, for god's sake!"

He watched Draco slap himself a few times clumsily around face, blink widely, and run to the toilet at least three times before he took sympathy on him. "Sit down." Blaise pushed Draco back into his chair and flicked his wand at him, muttering something under his breath.

Instantly, Draco felt his head clear. "That was blood amazing!"

"Why thank you. A little spell I made up back in the glory days."

"Blaise."

"Yes?

"You're eighteen."

"I'm not."

"You're not?"

"I'm nineteen. What's your point?"

"Stop talking like you're ancient."

Blaise laughed. "I'm sorry." He cleared his throat. "So, you want to explain to me why your girlfriend's blue?"

Draco told him. About the attack, about Hermione's condition, about his constant visits to see her, about his new friendship with Potter, and lastly, about how he was in love.

Blaise whistled. "Wow. Never thought I'd see the day where Draco Malfoy admitted to loving a muggle-born."

"Words along those lines seem to keep cropping up." Draco's lip curled. "You want to know the worst bit?" Blaise nodded conspiratorially. "I think I know who attacked them."

Before Blaise had time to respond, Hermione started to stir. "I've got to go but this isn't over." Blaise warned, jabbing a finger into Draco's chest. I'll be back later."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Draco asked sneering.

"A threat, now look after her."

"You don't have to worry about that." Draco stood up and moved to Hermione's side, knowing Blaise was no longer there.

"Draco?" Hermione didn't open her eyes as she spoke.

"Yes?" He brushed her hair out of face as he had done so many times in the past few weeks.

She stretched and yawned, a smile crossing her face as her eyes finally opened. "Do I look any better this morning?" The truth was she did. It was true, she was still a little blue, but awfully close to her normal colour. Her eyes glittered with their old sparkle, and she looked a little stronger.

"You look beautiful." She smiled, putting her arms around his neck and pulling herself up to kiss him softly. She tried desperately to pull him in deeper, kiss him more passionately, but he pulled away. "I'm scared I might hurt you." He admitted. "I'm sorry. Just get better first." He walked away leaving her on the couch.

* * *

Ron Weasley was sat at the table at the Burrow, wolfing down a meal of Shepherd's Pie greedily. Molly Weasley stood over him and watched disapprovingly. "It's a good thing your Vicky's not here, boy, you'd out her straight off you." Ron didn't answer but just kept on eating. "I heard Hermione's out of Saint Mungo's." She started conversationally.

Ron swallowed, not looking up. "Oh for heaven's sake, Ronald! At least pretend to care that your old best friend and girlfriend is alright!"

"Mum." Ron finally spoke, pushing his clean plate away. "She's no longer my problem."

* * *

The next morning found Draco Malfoy busy in the kitchen. He waved his wand around frantically as he tried to prepare the fattiest breakfast ever for Hermione. He piled her plate high with pancakes and syrup, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs and toast.

"You expect me to be able to eat that?" She asked giggling as Draco carried her plate in on a tray, a large glass of milk balancing beside it. He shot her a sarcastic look.

"You're a skeleton right now." He told her, sitting down at the foot of her bed as she took a bite of toast. "And you're not yet normal colour, you need to eat. Remember, you went over twenty one days with no food, that's very dangerous."

Hermione giggled again. "Ok, Mum." She began to eat properly, finally starting to feel how much her body ached for food.

Draco sat and watched, fascinated, as this tiny frame of a girl demolished an entire plate he thought even Blaise would have had trouble eating.

"Better now?" She nodded, grudgingly.

"Draco." She pulled him down to lie next to her, snuggling into his chest. "When I lie here next to you my heart beats so fast, and I feel safe." He kissed her forehead gently. "And, Draco."

"Hmm?"

"I love you too."

* * *

Please review

xxx


	13. Weddings and Courts

_This is a bit of a scripty chapter I'm afraid. Lot's of talking. If anyone's confused about when all this is now happening. This chapter happens I suppose, just before Christmas, maybe the 15th December? I worked it out earlier today. Wooo 16 today!_

_

* * *

_Life was good, Draco decided happily as he lay stretched out on his bed. Sure, his girlfriend was lying asleep in the next room rather than here with him. But she was still ill, and he could wait. It'd been over a week since Draco had bought Hermione back to stay with him. Christmas had come and gone with little excitement. 

He heard a scream from outside and leaped out of bed and out to his living room. "What?!" Hermione was stood by the window, clutching a piece of card in her hand, her mouth hanging open. And owl was sat scratching by the open window sill. "What's the matter?"

She looked at him, stunned. "It's an invite to Ron and Vicky's wedding." She thrust it into Draco's hands and he read.Helen and Zachory Harris are thrilled to invite:

Hermione Granger + 1

To the wedding of their darling daughter Victoria to Ronald Weasley.

Date: 13th January

Time: 3:00pm.

Place: Grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It would be wonderful to see you there"Blimey." Draco breathed. "They've got a nerve." But Hermione was no longer stood beside him. He could hear her in her bedroom and went to find her. "What are you doing?"

She had her head stuck in the cupboard of the spare room which Hermione had adopted as her own, clothes flying past her onto her bed. Draco had noticed recently he was unable to move around his flat for an ever increasing amount of Hermione's possessions what were lying around the place.

"I have to find something to wear!" She said, as if he had asked a very stupid question.

"You're planning to go?" Her head finally emerged from the cupboard and she gawped at him.

"Of course I am!" She said. "And so are you. It says plus one."

It was Draco's turn for his mouth to hit the floor. "Why would I want to go to the Weasel's wedding?"

Hermione smiled mischievously. "To make it miserable for him, and keep me company."

"You serious?" He asked her, a familiar evil sneer forming on his face. "You want to make his day miserable?"

"No! Of course I'm not serious, but I want to show him I'm better without him. To rub you in his face." She grinned. "No offence meant, of course, but Ron hates you, just you being there will be enough to make him edgy." She left her wardrobe and went up close to him, her arms around his neck, her lips almost brushing his. "So you've got to be on your best behaviour."

Draco broke the space between them, kissing her softly, sliding his tongue between her lips, heightening the passion of their kiss. He felt her smile as he pushed her back onto her bed. "Promise me." She whispered, as Draco moved his kisses down to her neck. "Promise me, you'll come with me. I need you there." He started to tease the buttons of her shirt open, one by one.

She took his hand in hers. "Not now." She said, a little breathlessly. "Later. I promise."

"You're not a - " He looked up.

"No, but just not now. Later." She kissed his lips and ran her fingers slowly through his hair.

"I promise."

"Sorry?"

"I promise I'll come with you." She kissed him again.

"Thank you so much." She shoved him off of her and jumped back to her wardrobe. "I need a dress!" She came out once more.

Draco was lying on his back, his hands behind his head. "Ask and youshall receive."

Sighing, Hermione knelt down beside her bed next to Draco, running her hand up his arm and down to his glossy, platinum hair. She kissed him softly. "Please may I have a dress, Draco?"

"Only if I'm allowed to help you choose it." He said casually, watching as her brown eyes widened.

"You want to go shopping with me?" He nodded, smirking at her suggestively. "I can tell what you're thinking, Malfoy. You're not coming in the changing rooms with me."

He moaned playfully. "Well, I'll come anyway. I'll be able to gibe you an honest opinion on what looks good, in my usually, oh so charming way."

She hesitated. Her breathing halting, just for a second. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know. Still feeling a little off, I guess."

They heard a tapping back in their living room, and both hurried to see. A smart looking grey owl was sat on the sill. As Draco opened the window, it shuffled inside, an official looking wax seal holding together the parchment it carried. "It's addressed to me." Hermione whispered nervously, taking the parchment from the owl.

"Well aren't you popular this morning."

He watched Hermione's face fall and anger explode in her eyes as she skimmed through the letter. "Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was low, he recognised it from the times she'd threatened him in Hogwarts. She held up the parchment, practically shoving it into his face. She pointed to a line. "Why didn't you tell me?""On evidence given by one Draco Malfoy…"

"I didn't want to make you mad at me." Draco could barely speak, guilt flooding through him.Miss Hermione Granger,

After the recent attack involving you and Mr Harry Potter, the Ministry of Magic has been working tirelessly to try to determine who it was who attacked the pair of you.

On evidence given by one Draco Malfoy, crossed with a report from Azkaban, we have been able to capture and further charge Mr Lucius Malfoy, who recently escaped from Azkaban.

Now that yourself and Mr Potter have fully recovered from the incident, you are hereby summoned to attend and give evidence at the Ministry, against Mr Lucius Malfoy.

The court session will take place on January 15th in courtroom 5. Please do not be late.

Yours sincerely,

Edwin Bathercroft - Department of Magical Law Enforcement"That's why I thought it was you, when I first saw you at Saint Mungo's." Hermione's voice was soft, but threatening, she was moving towards him, but instead of staying put and letting her come like he usually would have done, Draco found his feet instinctively moving backwards, away from her.

He found she'd cornered him, his back against a wall. "I thought you were your father. I remember now. I saw the hair, and thought it was you." She came up close to him. "And you knew."

Hermione was shouting. "You knew and you didn't even tell me? Did you not think I deserved to know that your father was the one who put me in a coma for three weeks? Who made some curse that not only did that but turned me blue and anorexic even till now." She flung herself down on the couch, folding her arms and crossing her legs sulkily.

"You're not really blue anymore, your basically back to normal colour." He stuttered.

She frowned at him, eyebrows raised. "That's not really my point."

"Well what was I meant to say?" Draco demanded, finding his tongue again. ""Oh, I'm so pleased your healthy once more, and, by the way, I think the guy who nearly killed you may have been my dad." It doesn't really come too easy you know, Granger."

"And we're back to Granger." Hermione marched back into her room and slammed the door.

"This is my house!" He called after her. "I don't like slamming doors."

The door was open briefly, and, like lightening, was slammed, even louder, once again.

"Trouble in paradise?" Draco whipped around at the sound of the voice, drawing his wand from his pocket, only to find Blaise leaning in the doorway to his kitchen. "She's a feisty one, that girl of yours."

Draco put away his wand and slumped down on the floor, leaning against his brown leather armchair. "She's right though, isn't she?" He said, a little helplessly.

"Nah, she's just upset." Blaise came and sat down on the floor beside Draco. "I think she just forgets sometimes who you used to be to her, who your father is, what background you come from. This was just a reminder she maybe wasn't prepared for."

Blaise followed Draco's line of vision to the wall, and then back to Draco's face. "Mate, seriously. Give her time. I bet you, five minutes after I leave she'll come out of that room, saying she knows she over reacted and asking you forgive her, and saying she knows you were right."

When Draco still didn't reply, Blaise continued. "Spend some money on her, buy her a present. You got to go to this court thing too some make out like you know it's going to be touch but you'll get through it together. You know, family outing to the courts of the Ministry of Magic." Draco couldn't help but snort with laughter.

"All the crap coming out of your mouth was pretty good before you went and said that." Blaise shrugged.

"But seriously, Dra, it'll be fine."

"Will it?" Draco looked to his friend. "It's going to be just as tough for me. I mean sure, I detest him, but it's still my father I'm going to be helping send to Azkaban."

"Sending back. Dra. He's going there whether you do anything about it or not. He escaped, remember."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am."

"Blaise?"

"Yeah?"

Draco pointed to the bedroom door. "I think she's moved in."

Blaise kicked at the purple furry thing on the floor and jumped as it rustled noisily. "Yeah, I'd sorta guessed that."

"What do I do if she doesn't come out and say she's sorry?"

"Tell her to go back home." Panic set across Draco's face. "I'm kidding. Talk to her and make her listen, I guess. Explain to her like you explained it to me last week."

"Blaise?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"Why do you never appear when Hermione's around?"

"Because, old friend, I'm actually dead and have come back to haunt you and only you, and therefore, you are only able to see me when you are alone."

"Bullshit."

"Of course. No, I suppose I just don't know what I'd say to her. I still think of her as the mud blood we all humiliated and detested back at school. I mean, what can you say to apologise for doing that for seven years?"

"I managed it" Draco pointed out.

"True, but you made her fall in love with you, and though I have inherited my mother astounded good looks, I fear if I use your method, our friendship would be pretty fucked really."

They sat there, together, on the floor. Both lost in thought, when Hermione's door burst open. She rushed out, a stream of words pouring from her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I over reacted, I know. I mean, yes, you should have told me but I unders - " She caught sight of Blaise over Draco shoulder as she hugged him tightly. "Oh, Zabini, isn't it?" She asked icily.

Blaise waved in greeting. "It's ok, I was just leaving." He scrambled to his feet.

"No, he wasn't." Draco flung an arm out, catching Blaise across the chest, stopping him nearing the door. "Hermione, Blaise is a member of the Order. He joined before I did." Blaise blushed a little as Hermione scrutinized him.

"Really?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowed, still held in Draco's strong arms. Blaise nodded, coiling up a little under Hermione's glare. She considered him, trying to get a vibe from him. "Ok." She said eventually. "I believe you."

She wriggled out of Draco's arms and went through to kitchen.

"I think she likes you." Draco said, nudging Blaise who laughed hollowly.

"You two are well suited, both cold as ice."

"Now you know that's not true, at least in my case."

"So you're going to go to the wedding with her?" Draco blinked at Blaise's rather random question. "She's invited isn't she?"

Draco nodded. "How do you know about it?"

"I'm an active member of the Order, unlike you and Granger, and I have met the Weasley's."

"So you're going?" Draco was a little stunned.

Blaise shrugged. "Thought I might pop in."

"It's a wedding." Draco pointed out. "You don't just "pop in"."

"I do at my mother's weddings."

"Your mum's had six weddings in the past year! I'm not surprised." Draco laughed, and a Blaise grinned.

Hermione came out of the kitchen, sipping at a foul looking green liquid through a straw. "Um, Dra, what's she doing?" Blaise whispered.

"It's a potion to get me better. I have to drink it everyday." Hermione answered pointedly.

"To stop you being blue?"

The blood drained from Hermione's face. "She's not blue anymore!" Draco rushed to Hermione's side and put an arm around her. "He's just kidding you, Hermione." He shot his evilest look at Blaise.

"Yeah, sorry. Warped sense of humour. You're not really blue anymore." Blaise insisted, attempting recovery.

"You'd better be telling me the truth."

When Blaise had gone without further upsetting Hermione, Draco and Hermione parted. Hermione had insisted she needed to go to work, to tell them she was ready to go back, and Draco had gone to his room.

He lay down on his bed thinking about Lucius. He was going to have to send his own father back to Azkaban. He remembered Blaise's words, telling him whatever happened would make no difference. But still, no matter how much he hated his father, no matter how much happier he was with him gone, it still felt awful, disloyal, knowing he'd have to see him again, to look him in the eye as he told an entire courtroom everything.

"Damn it." Draco muttered. "Damn it all." Things could have been so much simpler. He could have followed his father, joined the Dark Lord, and done whatever he was told, without having to worry about anything but himself.

It wasn't his fault, he knew. His intention when he'd left school, had been to set up here, and live alone. And now he had Hermione to look out for too. Was it love he felt for her? Or just responsibility, after he'd never had much choice in being there for her. It was because of her he had to go to court, sending his father back to Azkaban.

"Stupid mudblood." The second Draco realised what he'd said, he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Why are you thinking these things?" He cried into the empty space. The echo of his voice was satisfying. "It's not my fault!" He tried again. An old, familiar sneer settling upon his face, finally understanding the point of talking to yourself.

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	14. Grimmauld Place

_So sorry it's taken me so long to update, haven't had time with school and constant homework loads. Not actually at home so ahain this is standing in the way of me updating. But here you go...

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Happiness was pulsing through Hermione as she entered Draco's flat and called his name. She'd been welcomed back at work with open arms. Ginny had nearly cried when she'd seen her and had told her Harry was doing fine, though she had said something odd about him and Draco and fire whiskey Hermione hadn't quite understood.

"Draco?" She called again, eyebrows furrowing in worry. She hung her cloak up by the door and went through to the kitchen. It was empty, as was the dining room and her own room. She tapped slightly on the door to Draco's room. "Draco?" She pushed the door open without waiting for an invitation.

He was there, lying flat on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His face looked odd, contorted and annoyed. "You could knock before you come into my room. You don't know what I might be doing."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in confusion but he didn't look at her. "Is this a game or something."

"No, Granger, not a game."

Hermione was stunned. "Since when were we back to "Granger", Draco?"

Draco didn't answer, he just lay there, looking deliberately away from her at the ceiling.

"Answer me. Did I do something wrong." He remained silent. She approached him cautiously, still unsure if he was teasing her. She tried to kiss him but he turned his face, she tried to lie beside him but he pushed her away.

She was furious to find tears welling up in her eyes as she backed away from him, realising he wasn't joking. "This isn't fair." She told him, fighting hard to keep her voice steady. "I've done nothing wrong."

Draco seemed to click back into action and he turned to her, an expression of complete disgust of his beautiful face. "Yes you have." He shouted. "You complicated everything. I didn't want anything to do with this. I didn't want to take sides, I didn't want to care, I certainly didn't want to have to send my own father back to Azkaban, but because of you coming into my life, here I am, trying to do it all."

Hermione felt the a tear fall down her face as Draco's furious eyes looked at her. Grudgingly, she let another fall, her face screwed up, trying not to break down completely. "I thought…" She whispered. "I thought you loved me." She turned to leave.

"Well, I guess I was wrong." As Hermione closed the door behind her, she heard him mutter, "I'd have been better without you."

Hermione rushed across the living room, tears furiously streaming down her face. She reached her room, and slammed the door behind her, and flung herself onto her bed. She tried desperately to wipe away the tears with her sleeve, but it didn't help. She didn't understand. She'd only been gone a couple of hours, and in that time, Draco's love for her seemed to have turned to hate.

She knew it was all too good to be true.

She waved her waved at all her clothes that were piled around the room, sending them flying into her open suitcase. Books and quills and pieces of parchment were collected and thrown in as well.

From the bathroom she collected her toothbrush, her face towel and other bits and took them back to her room where they too were flung on the pile. Finally she retrieved her purple furry bean bag from the living room, and with that under one are, arm and her suitcase in the other, she went back to Draco's room, her face now dry.

"Right." She said, as he looked at her questioningly. "I'm going back to my apartment.

"You can't" Draco rolled back onto his back. "There's some one new living there now, Granger." He told her cooly.

Hermione mouthed at him wordlessly. "Again, not a joke. Eeylop must have seen me and figured he'd never see you again." He smirked. Hermione put down her bags and bean bag and neared his bed.

"But," Hermione said, finding her voice. "My stuff?"

"All here, you really don't own much."

"Why are you being such a git?" She asked, hoping this time to rake an answer.

His eyebrows shot up, but he still wouldn't look at her. "Because I feel like it."

"Right well I'm off then." She picked her bags back up and turned to leave. She guessed she was hoping he'd try to stop her.

"You've nowhere to go." He called after her.

He heard the door slam and knew she was gone.

"She'll be back."

* * *

Hermione dropped her stuff in the hallway of Grimmauld Place and looked around her. It was certainly tidier than it had been the last time she'd been here. She shuddered slightly at the memory. It surprised her a little that Harry had continued living here, but then, she guessed, it had been Sirius' home first.

"Harry?" She called out "Ginny." There were footsteps above her, and then on the stairs, and both Harry and Ginny appeared.

They ran hand in hand down the last flight of stairs, making Hermione smile. "Well, look at you two."

Ginny blushed tomato red and Harry shuffled his feet, looking shifty. "So how come you're here?" He pointed to her stuff. "With all that."

A third person appeared at the stair, with Ginny's red hair, filling the stairway. "Oh." Ginny, said, uneasily. "Ron's here."

"I noticed." Hermione waved awkwardly, and Ron returned it.

"It's ok." Ron started down the stairs, dragging his feet, arms hanging loosely at his sides. "I was just going."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Ok, well, I'm sorry about… that, but seriously mate, get over it." Ron nodded and Harry slapped him on the back cheerfully.

"Be seeing you, Gin." He waggled his fingers again at Hermione who tried to smile, and left.

Ginny sighed heavily. "Sorry about that 'Mione." They went through to the kitchen. "Ron's been a bit off about the whole wedding thing recently."

Hermione sat down, accepting a glass of water from Harry. "Oh? How come?"

The pretty red head shrugged. "Mum got over her initial liking of Vicky and has started to see flaws, we all have actually. She's been giving Ron a lot of hassle, saying he shouldn't have ended it with… you, and especially with her etcetera etcetera…" Ginny trailed off.

Hermione sat thoughtfully, here eyebrows furrowed. "Gin, your mum does understand exactly how it ended with me and Ron, doesn't she?"

"No." Harry cut in. "She thinks Ron had just met Vicky and gone all dizzy over her, so left you. She knows nothing of the awkward… position you found them in."

"Oh."

"So anyway." Ginny smiled forcefully. "How come you've got all your stuff? Things not going so well with Malfoy?"

Hermione shrugged, "He's was being a bit of a git, I got angry so I left."

Harry stood up and moved swiftly around the table. "What was he doing? Did he hurt you?" He put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, willing her to confide in him. The serious look in his eye made Hermione giggle.

"Harry, it's nothing. I just think he's just finding a it a bit hard what with his father being sent back to Azkaban and everything."

"Did he say anything to you about it? Anything at all." Harry urged her on.

Hermione shrugged again. " He said that because of me he was having to have a side when he didn't want to be on one. Again because of me he had to care and be a part of this whole battle, and he was having to send his own father back to Azkaban." Harry's eyebrows knitted as he screwed up his face in concentration. "Anything you can hate my supposed boyfriend for in that?"

Harry though hard for a minute before sighing. "No, I suppose not, so long as you believe it was genuine?"

"Yes, I think it was."

So, Hermione started to settle down in Grimmauld Place. She moved her belongings into a spare room, as the house had so many she had quite a selection. She knew she had only left in an attempt of giving Draco something to think about, so didn't really unpack, keeping her things in her case.

The room she occupied was very bleak, with whitewashed walls, and wooden floor. There was a single window looking out onto the muggle street below. She grew to enjoy watching the people pass below her.

Harry and Ginny were worried about Hermione. Ginny too had basically moved into Grimmauld Place, though she shared a room with Harry.

"You know what, I can't do this." Ginny said, sighing, pulling her lips away from Harry's and rolling off of him, putting her bra back on.

"Why now?" Harry sounded hurt.

Ginny looked at him, slipping her shirt over her head. "Because Hermione is just down the corridor, and it's just too… weird."

She threw Harry's boxers at him as he sat up. "Oh come on! She won't care." He pulled them up and climbed off his bed, snaking his arms around Ginny's waist.

"She may not, Harry. But I do, it's too screwed up." Ginny wriggled out of Harry's hold, being sure to kiss him as she left the room calling, "I'm going to make something to eat."

* * *

Draco was lying flat on his bed, arms behind his head, exactly as he had been when Hermione had left. In fact he had moved very little since then. "Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?" He muttered. "Yes, Draco." His conscience replied. "Yes you did, now be a man and get her back."

"But what if I don't want her back?" Draco argued.

"You do."

"Fine." He rolled lazily, not bothering to catch himself before hitting the floor. "Ow." He pulled himself to his feet, and headed towards the bathroom.

Slowly, he undressed and stepped into the shower, turning the water on. He saw Hermione had left behind a bottle of shower gel, which hung from the soap dish in the corner. He squeezed some into his palm and sniffed it. God he missed her.

"What a prick I've been." He sighed, washing himself down with the bubbles created from Hermione's soap.

A little later he stepped out of the stall. "And now I smell like a girl."

* * *

Harry ran to the door at the knock and opened it to find Draco Malfoy standing on the doorstep. "Hey." Harry opened the door fully to let Draco pass. "How are you?" They stood facing one another, Harry noticed Draco didn't look so pleased with himself as he always had done. Hermione had been right. He'd definitely changed.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the fire whiskey incident…" Draco trailed off and Harry laughed.

"No problem, best fun I'd had in ages." Draco nodded. "I'm guessing you're not here to see me?"

Draco shrugged. "Depends if this is where Hermione's been hiding out or not."

"It is."

"Then, no, I'm not here to see you." Harry didn't move, he let a patronisingly self satisfied smile play around his lips as he watched Draco grow more agitated. "Ok, Potter." Malfoy finally burst out. "I know I've been a dick to her, I'm sure she told you all I said, but I know I was wrong. Just please, let me talk to her."

Harry stepped up the first few stairs, gesturing for Draco to follow him. "All you had to do was say please."

Before they reached the door to the room Hermione was occupying. Harry stopped and turned to look at Draco. "Listen, don't screw this up, ok? I need her to go back with you." His face was deadly serious, and Draco felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

"How come, Potter? Not so friendly anymore."

"No, she's my best friend and always has been, but with her here…" Harry leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm not getting any." Harry's teeth were gritted and wasn't surprised to see Malfoy looked a little shocked.

"From her?" Draco pointed to Ginny who had just passed.

"Yeah."

"Well here's a conversation I never wanted to have and never want to have again." Draco was a bit dumbfounded. "I'll do my best." He patted Harry on the back, and played around, rolling up his sleeves and patting down his hair outside Hermione's door. He saluted a frowning Harry, and knocked.

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	15. I'd Do That For You

_Ok, at one point I start talking about when Hermione had her front teeth shrunk. Now I have no idea what book this was in as I'm living in my house at the moment as my family has gone off to Rome and I am living at my grandparents' so I have no access to the books to check, so forgive if I'm wrong. Oh yeah, lemonish action from the start here, it's not my best, but I haven't written one in a while. Don't read if you're going to be offended or whatever, but you're reading M rated fics, so what do you expect?

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Hermione looked up from the book she'd been pouring over as her door opened. A frown crossed her pretty face as Draco appeared in the doorway, a hopeful smile from ear to ear.

"What do you want?" She asked, immediately diverting her eyes back to her book.

She felt him sit down at the end of her bed, but refused to look at him again. "Hermione. I want you to come home."

"I don't want to."

"You do."

"No, I don't."

"You do." He insisted.

"What makes you think that?"

"You haven't unpacked." He pointed out, gesturing her, indeed still full, case.

She huffed and pretended to ignore him as he sidled up beside her. "Hermione?" He sang.

"You're a git, you know that?" She told him calmly.

"I know."

"You have no right to go treating me like that."

"I know."

"I was going to find a new place. Not come back."

"I.. No, you weren't."

"Honestly." She looked him straight in the eye as he spoke. "I was going to come back at first, but then I thought, well, why should I? I'd told you I loved you, and you'd just told me you'd been kidding yourself when you told me you loved me back. What was I meant to think."

Draco sighed heavily, looking down at his knees. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

He looked over at her to see tears forming in her eyes. "Draco, you really hurt me when you said those things."

"I know." He reached over and tried to put an arm around her, but she slid away from him, he lowered his arm helplessly. "I don't know what came over me that day. It was just the whole thing with my father, and I suppose I'd just suddenly realised how different everything is from how I'd always expected it to turn out. How much harder it is being who I am now."

Hermione giggled tearfully. "It's called not taking the soft option and becoming a murdering bad guy."

Draco didn't laugh. "I told you, Hermione. I never wanted that. I just never wanted to have any part in it. I just wanted to keep my nose clean, and not attract attention from either side."

"Well if that's what you want, you're not going to get that being with me. I'm a good guy through and through, I'm afraid." She told him quietly.

A small smile twitched on his lips. "I know that. I know you'd never give that up for me, and I wouldn't want you to. Right now you're everything to me, and if that means I have to become an active member of the Order of the Phoenix then I'll do it. If that's what you want."

Hermione dried her eyes on the tissue Draco handed her. "You'd really do that?"

"Well I'm already a member, aren't I? I'm pretty much there anyway." He laughed, and she smiled. She really did love it when he laughed. "And anyway." He finally managed to put an arm around her without her moving away. Draco pulled her closer towards him and rested his forehead on her, looking straight into her eyes. "I really do love you, Hermione Granger."

* * *

All her stuff was back to normal. Hermione looked around her room in Draco's apartment, a look of satisfaction on her face. She sat down on her old bed, stroking the covers beside her. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." She sang happily. Draco shyly pushed the door open and peeked around the side.

"Everything ok?"

"Everything's perfect."

She patted the spot beside her and Draco sat down next to her. "Listen, Hermione." Draco started. "I'm so sorry. I know I've said it before but I need to say it again. You were right, it wasn't fair for me to take it out on you - " She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, stopping him talking.

"I understand." She pulled away, but only by a few centimetres, her breath tickling Draco's face. "But." She stood up and moved away. "It was still very horrible of you." Her expression was teasing. Draco suddenly realised she'd been missing him too.

"Hey, listen, it's nearly Christmas, why don't we celebrate you coming back?" Draco asked, casually.

"What did you have in mind?"

Draco got to his feet to and moved towards her. He leant forward and lovingly kissed her. He bought his hands up from her waist to her hair, stroking it gently. As he felt Hermione finally start to respond he deepened his kisses, so they were more passionate, rougher. She didn't pull back, she needed him too. He suddenly realised her fingers had already managed to undo three of his shirt buttons without his noticing.

He laughed into their kiss as he started undoing the zipper of her dress. It fell to her feet, right as Hermione finally freed him of his shirt. She threw it aside, starting on the buckle of his belt. Draco moved his kisses downwards, to her neck, her breasts, his hands running up and down her body. He felt his trousers fall down around his ankles and kicked them away, lifting Hermione up, her legs wrapped around his waist, all the while his lips on hers.

"We're finally going to do it." Hermione breathed, as Draco threw her down on the bed and climbed on top of her.

"We've waited long enough." Draco said hoarsely. He started to unbuckle her bra but it was difficult. He grunted in frustration as it would not come undone.

"Let me." Hermione sat up and undid the bra herself in seconds. Draco smirked, not bothering to hide his staring. She didn't care though, she was just feeling happy she was having this affect on him. She curled her legs up to her chest and moved away from Draco playfully. "Go, on. I've removed an article of clothing. Your turn." Hermione was pointing to his boxers. "Off with them." He didn't need telling twice. It seemed to take the time it took her to blink for them to have gone. "That's what I like to see."

"Come here, baby." Draco called from the end of the bed. She giggled and turned her head away. "Oh, don't do this to me." He crawled slowly up the bed, and she slowly bought her legs down from her chest and lay back down beneath him. "You're going to enjoy this." Hermione raised a single eyebrow at him cheekily, he saw it as a challenge.

Draco brought his lips down furiously onto hers, his hands deeply massaging her breasts. Her hands were in his hairs, gently pulling at it. He moved his lips down, over her neck and onto her breasts, pausing to suck on each of her nipples. He moved lower, dropping kisses in a chain across her stomach, moving lower still to kiss the inside of her thighs.

"You're killing me." She breathed, pulling him up to face her once more. "Do it, do it now." Draco obediently positioned himself, and then moved into her in a steady movement. Hermione gripped her headboard, it had been so long since she'd had this.

He started slow, getting used to her, and then his pace grew faster and Hermione started to cry out with pleasure, only heightening Draco's desire for more.

It didn't take him long to bring her to her climax, as she came she drew long fingernails up his back, drawing blood, but he hardly felt it.

Hours later they woke up, both exhausted but happy. Hermione found herself wrapped in Draco's arms and she couldn't remember being happier. "That was some celebration." She breathed happily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

* * *

Christmas eve found Hermione flying around the house, apologising endlessly to her mother down the mobile phone, who had been shocked and angry to have to find out from an owl sent by Molly Weasley, a woman she barely knew, that her own daughter had spent the month before lying in a coma and no one had even bothered to tell her.

"Mum, I'm really, really sorry… Yes, I know, it was wrong of them." She rolled her eyes exhaustedly at Draco who laughed. She continued pacing across the living room. "Yes, I'm fine now… No, there was never any threat to my life."

"Tell her you were blue for nearly a month." Draco called out. Hermione gave him an evil stare and didn't answer.

"Yes, I'm being looked after… By Draco, Mum… Didn't I tell you about him?… Well I've been living with him ever since I left hospital… No, mum, I don't need to speak to - Hi Dad…" Draco shoved a fist into his mouth in an attempt to stop himself laughing. "Yes, he's very respectable."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's well off." Draco nodded again. "Yes, he is taking good care of me." He smiled at her, and she grinned back. "Yes, I'll be careful. Listen, Dad, I really have to go. Battery's going… I love you too, see you soon." She hung up.

Hermione heaved a sigh as she sat down beside Draco and curled up beneath his arm. "I'd like to meet your parents someday." Draco told her, smiling.

"Believe me, you wouldn't."

"Dontiths, or something aren't they?"

Hermione grinned up at him. "They're called Dentists. It's presumably the most loserish job a person can have."

Draco laughed. "And yet they have a stunning and amazingly intellectual daughter like you, how can this be?" Hermione smiled and snuggled in closer to him.

"You know that's not true."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm silly, bookworm, buck-toothed… mudblood Granger."

Draco sighed. "You know I don't think that about you anymore."

"But why not? I mean, what changed?"

"I fell in love with you."

"But my appearance hasn't changed." She pointed out.

"Well you've no longer got buck teeth." He grinned at her jokingly. "Hermione, a smart girl like you, I'm would have thought you'd have realised that you have ridiculously low self esteem by now."

Hermione looked up at him, confused. "Are you making fun of me?"

Draco laughed at her softly. "No. I just mean you've always been beautiful. It's just bastards like me telling you aren't that have made you think you're not."

"You're telling me that from like our third year when I had them shrunk, you've thought I was beautiful?" She looked at him, her brown eyes huge.

Draco bit his lip. "If I'm honest, I'd have to say I didn't. But only because I was never allowed to see you as anything more than Griffindor scum, but now…" He trailed off, feeling her lean back on him with satisfaction.

They sat together for a few minutes each feeling quite content in one another's company before Hermione broke the silence. "You know what I miss most about Hogwarts?" She asked lightly. "The Christmases, They were always so beautiful."

"Malfoys don't really celebrate Christmas." Draco muttered.

"Really? That must be awful."

"You get used to it."

Once again, silence fell upon them, as the fire under Draco's mantels flickered noiselessly, the occasional shadow crossing it as another wizard went to wish a friend or relative a happy Christmas. "Draco?" He turned to face him.

"Yes, Hermione." He took a lock of her hair and curled it playfully around his fingers.

"I'm not sure I want to go to Ron's wedding anymore." She told him, sadly.

"Oh! But you got me so excited about it! I was looking forward to making out with you right in front of him."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "We were never going to do that." She sighed. "No, I don't want go because I know all eyes will be on me. Ron nearly cancelled the wedding last week because Molly kept telling him she'd rather he were marrying me than Vicky."

"Even better!" Draco exclaimed happily. "This is going to be great fun, we have to go." He stuck out his bottom lip at her, and could see she was weakening. "Come on, Hermione. This may be the one opportunity you ever get to see a Malfoy wanting to go to a Weasley celebration! You got to let me go!"

She gave in. "Fine we'll go, but we still need clothes to wear and a gift and all sorts of other stuff." she stood up and started pacing once again.

"You are making me tired, please sit back down." Draco pulled on her arm after a couple of minutes, in which time Hermione had began to mutter to herself stressfully.

He kissed her lightly, and she leaned in, wanting more. "I will buy you the perfect dress." He whispered to her, his lips barely a centimetre from hers. Her eyes were closed and she smiled.

"Are you made of money?" She asked him.

"No, but Lucius is, and I don't want him to come out of Azkaban, if he ever does, and have stack loads of cash now, do I?" They laughed. And they kissed, Draco lying back on the sofa with Hermione over him, her fingers combing his hair roughly as his hand slid down her back to her butt.

"Christmas tomorrow." Hermione breathed when they finally broke apart. "I'm sorry to say, I haven't got you anything." She apologised worriedly.

"Hermione over the time we've been together, you been attacked my father, hence put in a coma for almost a month and since then you've out on me, with good reason I grant you." He kissed her softly again. "You've returned, and all the while, excluding the time in a coma, you've been working almost every hour of the day. Believe me, I did not expect a present." Hermione laughed and Draco kissed her hand tenderly. "Your being here is a gift enough for me."

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	16. Christmas, Dresses and Weddings

"You didn't tell me you were expecting company." Hermione pulled Draco's bedroom door open to reveal Blaise sat in the leather armchair. He smiled weakly at the topless, tousle-haired Draco, and waved.

"Hey, Dra." Hermione shot him a warning look.

Draco rubbed his eyes and focused. "Heya, Blaise. You're early."

Blaise shrugged. "Always up early Christmas morning. Have to open my presents." Hermione couldn't help but giggle. "So I just figured I'd come by a little early."

Hermione kicked the door to keep it open and started to try and pull Draco out of bed, but he clung on furiously. "Hermione." He whispered through gritted teeth so Blaise wouldn't hear. "I'm not wearing anything under here as you well know."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and continued to tug. "You shared a room with him for seven years and you're telling me he's never seen you naked?"

"I'm very proud!" Hermione laughed at him and let go.

"Fine. Well, just get up and dressed." She kicked the door once more to release it, and pushed it almost shut, leaning in through the crack. "Oh, and Happy Christmas."

Draco did climb out of bed, muttering darkly. Something about how much better Christmas would have been without her physically pulling him from his bed, and dressed in a black roll neck sweater and blue jeans.

He emerged to find Blaise and Hermione sat together, each holding mugs of hot coffee, laughing together. He felt a stab of jealousy, which he quickly fixed by sitting down right beside Hermione, and kissing her, a kiss that she returned.

"So." Blaise said, raising his mug cheerfully. "Merry Christmas, one and all." The couple before him cheerfully lifted their mugs to meet his.

No presents were exchanged between them. Draco received no presents at all, but did not seem at all bothered. Hermione got books from Harry, a Christmas cake from Molly, and various Weasley's Wizard's Weases from the twins. From Ginny she got a beautiful silk shawl, light blue and embroidered with beads that changed to a new shade of blue when twisted. There were cards from colleagues as well, her favorite being the one from Michael, which depicted Mr. Crawley striding around in a too tight fitting Santa suit. Her parents sent no gift, which she understood. They never knew what to buy their magic daughter, but had a sent a traditional muggle Christmas card, wishing their daughter luck for the new year.

Blaise stuck around nearly all day, he could feel he wasn't particularly welcome on Granger's part, but Draco insisted he stay whenever he offered to leave, and he had nowhere else to go.

The evening began to approach with little warning, and all too soon the day was over. Blaise bid them both goodbyes, even receiving a kiss on the cheek from Hermione, and left them.

"Well." Draco yawned, slumping down onto the couch. "That was an exhausting day."

"Draco." Hermione perched on the armrest beside him. "We didn't do anything."

He ran a hand through his sleek blonde hair and grinned up at her. "True." He pulled her down off the armrest so she was sat in his lap and she slid her arms around his neck. He kissed her playfully across her neck and down her chest, liking the way she tilted her head back happily.

"Draco." She breathed as he moved his mouth up to her lips. He murmured in response. "Promise me." She said, speaking away from his lips. "Promise me you won't leave me." He broke away from her and the mood was gone. Hermione bit her lip nervously, knowing what he said next was not to be good.

"I can't promise you that." He told her calmly, allowing her to sit down beside him on the couch. "I can promise you I will stay with you for now, and that I love you now, and I will try to continue that, but I can't promise what will happen in the future, you know that."

She nodded a little unhappily, not meeting his eye. "I suppose."

He lifted her chin and looked into her face, her deep brown eyes desperately beautiful in the dim light. "I love you." He told her, simply.

It was enough to make her smile. "I love you too."

* * *

New Year came and New Year went without much event. It bought with it a sense of panic as weddings and court dates drew nearer. It also bought snow, a delight to all. Small flakes drifted past Hermione face, landing on her ivory skin, and on her ebony black lashes as she looked up into the clouds.

"I thought you wanted a dress!" Draco called, waving her towards him from up the street.

Muggle London was practically deserted. The children had returned to school, and their parents back to work, Hermione should also have been there, of course, but Ginny had promised to cover for her to give her a chance to get the perfect dress for Ron's wedding.

"I still don't understand why you want a muggle dress." Draco huffed sulkily, taking personal offence at Hermione's refusal of a new set of wizard's robes.

Hermione laughed at him as she danced down the street. "Muggle dresses are more me. You'd be surprised how nice they are. It's a science: dress shopping. Pick the wrong one and it looks awful, but the same dress, in a different cut, can be amazing."

Draco perked up at her description of the challenge of a muggle dress and together they ventured between shops.

Draco soon wished he hadn't come.

"This one makes me look frumpy."

"Too long."

"Too short."

"Hell no."

"My waist has vanished. Is it out there?"

"Too expensive."

"Alright, but no."

"This one's too tight."

"My boobs look enormous!"

"Too tacky."

"Shit."

They left the seventh shop and Draco felt exhausted. "Bloody hell, woman, can't you just find a dress you like and buy it?"

Hermione grinned. "Don't be ridiculous." She laced her fingers through his. "One more shop, ok? I promise."

Draco muttered darkly but obediently followed her down the high street, trying desperately not to come into contact with any of the muggles.

"This is it." Hermione called form a dressing room. Draco immediately pulled back the curtain to see her. She was stood in a pale blue, bead lined dress. It was low cut, which straight away made It a "yes" for Draco, and came down to just above her knee. "It's perfect, she told him, swinging from side to side, admiring how petite and elegant the dress made her look. "It sort of say "I'm-over-you-and-getting-on-with-my-life-and-am-glad-you're-getting-on-with-yours.""

"Plus, it matches that shawl thing perfectly." Draco pointed out.

"Oh, yes, you're right. How brilliant." Hermione exclaimed happily. She spun an impressive twirl, the beads on the dress catching the light spectacularly. "I'll get this one."

* * *

The day of Ron's wedding dawned bright and cool. Hermione sat up, and screamed. "Oh my god! It's today!" She leapt out of bed and to the bathroom before Draco had even opened his eyes.

She returned what seemed like only seconds later with her hair in rollers, like little sausages around her head. "What time is it?" She demanded.

Draco slowly opened his eyes and yawned widely. "I don't know."

"Well, you're useless." Hermione muttered. She looked at the clock herself. "Nine o-clock. Good, we've got hours."

She noticed Draco's eyes had closed once more and picked up her wand. An icy jet of water hit Draco in the face, causing his eyes to snap open and shriek. Hermione laughed evilly. "Time to get up now."

"Fine." Draco rolled out of bed and to the bathroom. He showered, and pulled on his robes. He came out to find Hermione trying desperately to do up the zip at the back of her dress.

"Damn it." She grumbled and then she felt Draco's warm body coming up behind her. His fingers move hers aside and did up her zip. He wound his arms around her waist and pulled her around to face him. He kissed her deeply, and she smiled. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He let her go and she sat down before her mirror. She tapped her face with her wand and makeup appeared, exaggerating her eyes beautifully, plumping her lips, and blushing her cheeks prettily. "You look beautiful." She smiled at him, and began to take out the curlers. Her normally slightly crazily curly hair was tamed into beautiful ringlet. She pulled it back into a half ponytail, and arranged the falling curls around her face with her wand.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

To Hermione, being back at Hogwarts felt like she was home. She looked around the lake, remembering times she spent there, sat laughing with her two best friends. The remembered the trouble they'd been in, and the fun they'd had, and it somehow felt wrong that she should be returning her with Draco rather than with Harry and Ron.

They spotted Harry and Ron soon enough though, across the lake they were stood, along with Ginny and Molly. They were laughing and sipping at glasses of wine.

Hermione looked up at the castle, and smiled when she eyed at least eight student faces peering out of the windows at them. She pointed them out to Draco, but her laugh was unnaturally high.

"Hermione." Draco slipped his hand in hers. "You can go over and speak to them. They invited you, they must want you to be here."

"I don't want to." She said, her voice steadying. "Are they looking over at us?"

Draco nodded. "Then kiss me." He smirked and obliged, enjoying the urgency with which she received and returned his kiss. They broke apart and Draco saw Ron watching them, his face contorted and angry. Draco sneered over at him, and waved. This was great.

They strolled around the lake, hand in hand, to the area where the wedding would be taking place. There were beautiful blossom trees growing, which had never been there before, which were raining petals down on them in the light breeze. Chairs were arranged to provide a traditional aisle down the center. It was very… muggle, and Hermione remembered once describing to Ron what her perfect wedding would look like and realized why this situation was so familiar. It was like a stab through the heart.

Hermione groaned and Draco turned to her questioningly. "I want to go home."

"No way! Too much fun." Hermione raised her eyebrows at him and he leaned forward. "If we stay, maybe we could go into the castle and find a broom cupboard and - "

Hermione laughed. "No! No broom cupboards." She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"Good day, lovers." They turned to see Blaise striding happily towards them. They grinned as he approached them gripping them both in headlocks, and pulling them towards the other guests. He released them only when they were stood directly before Ron, Harry and Ginny, despite the couple's relentless protests.

"Potter, how good to see you." Blaise shook Harry's hand warmly like they were old friends. "Miss Weasley, a pleasure as ever." He kissed Ginny's hand charmingly and she giggled like a schoolgirl once again. He past over Ron completely which made the corners of Hermione's mouth twitch.

Harry held his hand out to Draco, as equally warmly as he had greeted Blaise. "Alright, mate."

Draco grinned and nodded. "Good to see you again."

Ginny blushed, giggling even more at finally meeting this new devastatingly handsome Malfoy. He took her hand, just as Blaise had done, and kissed it. Ginny's face turned scarlet and Draco smirked.

Like Blaise, Draco ignored Ron.

Harry and Ginny both hugged Hermione, and a little of the annoyance at Ron went away.

"I'm so pleased you came." Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear. "Maybe you being here will at least keep mum happy." She let her go and stepped back, taking Harry's hand.

"I feel like such a sad loser." Blaise exclaimed. "Potter and the Weasley girl are together. Dra and Hermione, and then Weasley's about to get married. I'm at a wedding with no date!" They all laughed, except Ron, who just grinned a little nervously.

"Ah, how nice it is to see you all back here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore was stood at Hermione shoulder. "Such a pleasant day for such a pleasant occasion." He smiled down on the mix of Griffindors and Slytherins before him, and felt a great sense of pride. "To me it is a great achievement on my part that the group of perhaps the most extreme of two opposing houses have managed to put aside their differences such as the group of you have."

They all shuffled embarrassedly. "It's good to have you here, Professor." On held out his hand.

Dumbledore chuckled as he took it. "Well, you did decide to have your wedding on my school ground, Mr Weasley. I felt it was only appropriate that I make an appearance."

Molly ran over to them all, slightly breathlessly she greeted all the new arrivals, and then announced it was time to start.

Hermione and Draco took their seats in the third row, directly behind Fred and George Weasley. They watched as Ron straightened out his robes, and nervously began to rock, back and fourth.

Similarly, Hermione was wringing her hands distractedly. The music began and they all stood up. "This is so horrible of him." Draco heard Hermione muttering. "This was meant to be my perfect wedding." Draco noticed her hands and took hold of them.

"Calm down." He whispered, her lips painfully close to her ear. He kissed her temple delicately, as the wedding march began.

Vicky seemed to appear out of nowhere and began to walk down the aisle. Hermione hated to admit it, but she did look lovely. It relaxed her a little to see Vicky looking like that. Despite how much she hated Ron right now, she was pleased to know her looks at least would make him happy.

Her dress was strapless, and fitted over her chest and around her little waist. Floral lace covered the silk, and the two materials intertwined and flowed out over her waist and to her feet. She was truly a blushing bride, smiling prettily, and carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.

The whole audience had their eyes fixed on her as she step, one foot in front of the other, down to where Ron was stood, looking very pleased with himself. He kissed her when she reached him and Hermione felt a shot of happiness pass through her.

The ceremony was short, nowhere near as long as a muggle wedding, but still as lovely and emotional. Magical bonds were set for them, and their vows became binding. Hermione didn't like to ask what would happen should one of them break them. They kissed, and the ceremony applauded, and Hermione felt a tears slide down her cheek.

Draco dried it and kissed her, full on the lips. Fred and George along with many others turned to look at them. The broke apart, both grinning a little evilly at one another. Hermione waved apologetically around, her cheeks crimson red. "What did you go and do that for?" She murmured angrily out of the side of her mouth.

Draco grinned. "Steeling their thunder."

* * *

_That's not it, I promise! All weddings must have a reception. Sorry this chapter took me so long, I had a bit of writer's block due to essay writing and stuff I had to do over the weekend._

_Please review (you know you want to)_

_xxx_


	17. You Don't Know What You've Done

_Sorry about the wait! Thank you to reviewers, both new and old! Keep having awful dreams where I get flames at the moment for some reason. Not the most pleasant of dreams to have as my dreams are very vivid. Anyway, as you've noticed, updates are getting wider spread now. My last exam is June 15th, then, hopefully they'll be back to one every two days.

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_

When the ceremony had ended, the party marched across the grounds to where a huge marquee style shelter had been set up. Inside were half of the Hogwarts houses, scurrying between guests with silver trays piled high with appetizers. Across the canopy of the marquee were plants Hermione recognized from the greenhouses, beautiful lily vines that rained powder puff petals that faded before hitting the floor so as never to make a mess.

Hermione gawped at the beauty of it, finding it difficult to keep the anger hidden. Like the ceremony, this was exactly as she'd described her perfect wedding to Ron.

Draco heard her harsh breathing and looked down at her in surprise, this was hardly the atmosphere to be huffing in. "I'm sorry." She said, seeing him stare at her. "It's just this is precisely how I wanted my wedding to be, and now Ron's gone and taken it from me."

His mouth fell open slightly, and his blue eyes blazed, furiously. "That guy is just asking for a beating."

Hermione sighed. "I just hate the way he keeps looking at me, pretending to be apologetic, he knows it's killing me."

They accepted glasses of champagne from a passing house elf and both downed them simultaneously. Both were glaring over to the other side of the marquee, where the wedding party was stood.

It had to be said, thought Hermione; they didn't look the happiest of wedding parties she'd ever seen. Actually, not one of them was even smiling. Vicky wasn't even there. She was swanning about prettily in her white gown, mingling with her guests, her piercing laughter ringing out whenever anybody said anything even remotely funny.

The music started and people crowded into the center of the room, which had been cleared of tables to create a dance floor. Hermione watched as Vicky pulled Ron out and they began to dance together. She found her teeth were grinding together at the sight and instead turned to look at the beautiful boy she was with. She noticed he was watching the newly wed couple as well, his expression not dissimilar form the one Hermione had worn.

"Draco." He looked away from Ron and Vicky, and to Hermione, who was smiling shyly. "Do you want to dance?"

Draco turned back to the dance floor and laughed as he watched Blaise spinning Molly Weasley around incredibly fast and Molly's hat fell off. "Sure, why not. Let's show them we can do it better."

He pulled her out laughing and pulled her in close to him. The song playing was jazzy and upbeat. They swung together, standing close, back and forth. Draco spun her out and she laughed, and pulled her back in, and kissed her lightly on the nose.

"What the fuck is she doing here with Malfoy of all people?" Ron muttered to harry out of the corner of his mouth as they swept by one another as they danced.

Harry was keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his feet, determined not to let Ginny down by causing a pile up. "You didn't know they were together? Ginny didn't tell you?"

"I didn't tell him what?" Ginny broke in, slinging her arms around Harry's neck so as to hear the conversation better. Vicky remained obliviously smiling around the room at the people.

"You didn't tell him about 'Mione and Malfoy." Harry told her sternly.

"Oh, right, no. I just sort of assume he'd find out. Blaise is good friends with mum, after all, and you know, Harry. I just thought someone else would tell him."

"Well they didn't." Ron grumbled as Vicky, who was laughing insanely, swung him around.

Harry smiled weakly. "Come on, mate. This is meant to be the best day of your life, and Malfoy's alright. He's not doing any harm!"

Ron smiled. "Yeah, guess you're right."

Harry and Ginny waltzed slowly, watching Hermione and Draco stare intimately into one another's eyes. Draco leaned in and they kissed. "What do you reckon?" Harry asked Ginny. "Reckon it'll last?"

Ginny sighed thoughtfully. "I really don't know. I mean," She gestured. "Look at them. They look as if it's their wedding day today, not Ron's. Yet, he is Draco Malfoy, and we still don't know if he can be completely trusted."

Hermione and Draco continued to dance, oblivious to the whispering that followed them across the dance floor. Eventually, after so many hours, when it had begun to get dark, they were interrupted.

"Excuse me." A nervous voice spoke quietly. The couple stopped dancing and turned to face Ron. Scowls flew across both faces. Hermione's features darkening, and Draco's lip curling. Ron shivered under their deathly glares. "I just wanted to thank you both for coming. It's a sort of custom." He explained hurriedly. Neither of the two people before him replied. Both continued to stare at him, unblinkingly.

Ron began to slowly back away. "Ok, well, I have a wife to get back to." He began to walk away.

Draco broke away from Hermione and stormed after him. He spun Ron around, and hit him, hard, right across the face.

The entire room fell silent, with the exception of Vicky who was screaming as a large amount of blood began to pour form Ron's nose.

Hermione rushed forward, and pulled Draco away. "He deserved it." Draco cried to the room. "For what he did to her." He pointed to Hermione, who promptly let go of him. "Do you lot realize how brave she's been in coming here, and yet you let him flaunt it at her like he has done. You make me sick, the lot of you."

Hermione's mouth was practically resting on her chest. Finally coming to her senses, she fled, running out of the marquee and out towards the school gates. Frantically, Draco ran after her. "Hermione! Wait!"

She spun around. "I can't talk to you right now." She carried on walking until she reached the edge of the school grounds.

* * *

Her bedroom spun into view and she collapsed upon her bed, sealing her door locked as she did so.

Immediately Draco began to bang on the door, rattling the door handle. She ignored him, stretching out on her bed.

"You can't stay in there forever." He shouted. She sighed, and rammed open the door.

"Draco! You don't seem to understand what you just did." She yelled. "Not only did you hit one of my best friends, you just insulted basically the entire Order."

Draco was unconcerned. "Oh, come on! They all know I was right." Draco stepped past her into her room and flopped down onto her bed. She stayed stock still in the doorway.

"I know. I'm not angry at you, what you did for me was… amazing." Her frosty expression melted into a smile, and she came to sit beside Draco. "It's just I don't think you understand how on edge the Order is about you. You're playing with fire, speaking to them like that."

"She's right, you know." They looked up to see Blaise stood in the doorway, his jacket slung over his shoulder, and his tie hanging loose around his chest. "They're not too happy with you, back there."

All three of them sighed helplessly.

"It'll blow over." Draco told them, optimistically. "I mean, they're the good guys, right?"

Blaise looked at him doubtfully. "Sure, we're the good guys, but you're in a deatheater family. Do you really think they completely trust you?"

"You know I'm not like Lucius."

"Yes." Hermione broke in. "We do, but they don't know you like we do, and what you just showed them isn't really helping your cause."

Blaise breathed heavily. "Well, we've got two days till court. Put in a good show there, and they might just forgive you for breaking Weasley's nose."

"I broke it?" Draco asked, cheering up a little.

"Yeah." Blaise scoffed. "But it's fixed now. But that's not the point. The point is, you've just gone and put a whole lot more pressure on yourself to help send your father back to Azkaban."

Draco's face fell and his gaze turned to the floor.

"I know it'll be hard for you." Hermione leant upon him, pulling his arm around her. "But if you don't… they could obliviate your memory, and you'd forget everything: the Order, your new friends… me."

He looked at her, his head on one side. "I'm not going to let that happen."

* * *

January 12th passed too fast. Draco spent the majority of the day pacing around the apartment, trying to listen to Hermione's words of comfort, but all the time imagining the scene where a boy sends his own father back to hell.

"You'll be fine." Hermione soothed. "They already know everything you know, don't they? They just want you to say it again."

"But he'll be there, Hermione!" Draco was beginning to lose his temper. "He'll be standing there, watching me give a courtroom of people he worked hard to destroy, reason to send him back to the dementors." He waved his arms at her impatiently. "And what do I know anyway? I know you mistook me for your attacker, but that could be for any reason. I know he's a deatheater, but so does basically everybody else in the entire fucking world."

Hermione sighed heavily, heaving her shoulders dramatically. "Well, I don't know what you want me to say."

"I'm sorry, ok. I'm sorry I'm being like this to you, but you don't know what it's like."

"You're right, I don't. I'm sorry for attempting to be of some help." She got to her feet wearily, and went to her room, quietly closing the door behind her.

* * *

Draco awoke, unpleasantly suddenly on the morning of the court hearing. He looked through his half open door at the clock above the mantel. Half past five. He shivered as a chill swept through him that was only partly down to the January frost.

Deciding there was no chance of him falling back asleep, Draco crawled slowly out of bed, and headed towards the bathroom.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror.

"This is why I don't do mornings." He told himself. Draco undressed and clambered dazedly into the shower. He let the hot water run over him, feeling his body kick into action and his brain beginning to think more clearly. Today's the day you send your dad to Azkaban. It was resolute today. Something he had to do. What's more, somehow, today, standing under the jet of hot water, it wasn't so scary anymore.

There was a banging on the door, and Hermione's voice dimly reached him through the noise of running water and the thick steam.

Draco turned off the shower, and stepped out, wrapping a white towel tightly around his waist. "What are you doing up so early?" He asked, tentatively kissing Hermione on the cheek as he passed her.

"Couldn't sleep. I'm guessing the same is true for you?"

"Sure is." She closed the door behind her as she went into the bathroom, and seconds later; Draco heard the water begin to run again.

He returned to his room rifling through his cupboards and drawers in search of clothes. Draco had never been to court before. He didn't know what to wear. He decided to keep it very plain, selecting black trousers and shirt, and black robes to wear over.

"Ha! You look like your off to a funeral." Hermione laughed when she caught sight of him.

Draco swung around agitatedly. "Is this not what you wear to court?" He demanded.

"It's fine. And in answer to your question, I don't know. Harry's the only one I've ever known to go to court and he's not exactly one for smart attire."

"So you think this'll be alright?" Draco asked her, calming down a little.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." She smiled at him weakly. "So, are you ready? It'd be best to arrive early."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

_Righto. A few more reviews would be appreciated, as schools appalling at the moment and I always check before going and it lifts my spirits when I have some nice ones. I really hope you're all enjoying my story! _

_Please reviw_

_xxx_


	18. Courtroom 5

_Love you guys, my lovely reviewers. Here ya go! _

* * *

The Ministry of Magic Atrium stretched before Draco endlessly. The constant flurry of wizards hurrying through made him nervous, and he was sure everybody here knew who he was, and what he'd come to do. It felt as if a heavy weight was sitting upon his shoulders, and only when this was all over, would it be lifted.

His hand in Hermione's, they walked briskly to the desk for wand inspection. The guard greeted them cheerfully, too cheerfully in Draco's opinion, and weighed and measured their wands before handing them back to them, wishing them a good day.

"Stop fidgeting." Hermione whispered harshly at him, as they stood side by side in the lift, descending all the way down to the courtrooms.

Draco could almost feel the air getting cooler.

Finally they reached the lowest level, the basement, the cellar, the dungeon. They stepped out of the lift, and instinctively grabbed one another's hand. "Ok." Hermione said, breathing heavily. "This is it. Are you ready?"

Draco couldn't reply. He nodded.

The door to courtroom five was large, made of dark, old wood, and there was no handle. Draco pushed hard, heaving against the door, but it wouldn't move.

"Let me." Hermione stepped in front of him, and examined the door. She inserted the tip of her wand into a small hole that would be unnoticeable to anyone less observant than Hermione. The door swung open.

Draco nearly fainted at what lay before him. Stone steps descended down to a circular valley on which, upon a wooden chair, sat his father.

Lucius's eyes darted to his son, and a look of cruel amusement flickered across his cold, pale face. His son, with that mudblood, how things have changed.

Hermione tugged at Draco's arm, whose eyes remained fixed upon his father, and ushered him across to seats beside Albus Dumbledore. "Good morning, Professor." Hermione greeted, her voice shaking only slightly.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, how wonderful to see you." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled cheerfully. "Even if it is under such unpleasant circumstances."

A tall man opposite them got to his feet, clearing his throat noisily. "Now that every witness is present, court is in action." He coughed nervously. "Lucius Malfoy, you are further charged, after your original charge on your activities here in the ministry, for the brutal, and potentially fatal attack on Miss Hermione Granger, and for the use of the cruciatus curse on Mr. Harry Potter." Hermione swiveled around in her stone seat to see Harry and Ginny, along with Molly and Arthur, sat a few rows above them.

Lucius blinked unconcernedly at the man, lazily slumping down in the chair. Hermione felt Draco's hold on her hand tighten. "It's ok. She whispered. He didn't look at her, his eyes still fixed furiously on his father.

"How do you plead?" The nervous man opposite them asked.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Not guilty of course." He drawled.

"In that case, we'd like to here from Mr. Harry Potter." Hermione listened to the muttering and shuffles behind her as Harry rose from his seat, and watched as he descended the steps to the crevasse on which Malfoy sat.

"Mr. Potter. You claim to have no recollection of the evening in question." A witch to the left of the judge had got to her feet, her piercing eyes glaring at Harry through horn-rimmed spectacles.

Harry nodded. "That's correct."

"How is it that you suffered such memory loss?" She quickly asked.

"I guess… pain? You are aware, I'm sure, that I spent almost three weeks in Saint Mungo's after the incident."

The woman tilted her head to one side. "We are aware of that. It just seems odd for you to have not even an idea as to who inflicted such pain onto you."

"Hermione and Draco believe it's him. He escaped from Azkaban, it all adds up. So, I think it's him." Harry shrugged. Hermione almost smiled. It was the first time Harry had ever addressed Draco using his first name.

"But you do not know?" The women confirmed. Harry shrugged again. "Very well." The woman sat back down and was immediately come down upon by the media wizards and witches around her, badgering her with questions. She shook them off with a flick of her hand.

The judge rose once more. "You may return to your seat, Mr. Potter." Harry willingly obliged, smiling down at Hermione and Draco as he passed them.

"Miss Granger." Hermione started, suddenly feeling the dread she thought Draco must have been feeling. Shakily, she stood. Draco moved his eyes from Lucius for the first time, and watched as Hermione slowly stepped down to his father's level.

The bespectacled woman looked down at Hermione, a little kinder than she had on Harry. "Can you tell me what happened that evening, Miss Granger?"

Hermione tried to catch her breath, to steady her voice, but it wouldn't work.

"Say something." Harry urged her.

"Um, well. It had been my first day at work. I work with Ginny Weasley." Hermione vaguely pointed. "She told me she was worried about Harry, so I came home, and then I wanted Draco to go with me, but he wouldn't so I got a bit upset and went by myself, and I thought the house was empty, but then I heard a noise, so I went upstairs." Hermione took a long breath, trying to will her thought into a rational order. "I opened the door of the room I could hear the voices behind. Inside, the first thing I saw was Harry. He was bleeding a lot, and seemed to no be very aware of anything then, I don't think he recognized me, but he tried to warn me." Hermione's face crinkled in the effort of remembering the details. "Then a man came out, but he was wearing a black hood. I recognized the hair though, but I thought it was Draco." She whispered. "I tried to reach Harry, but I didn't make it, and that's all I can remember."

"You believed your attacker to be _Draco_ Malfoy?" The witch asked, curiously.

"I guess I must have done." Hermione told her. "When I woke up, in the hospital and Draco was there, I was really scared, and I thought he'd done it, but he didn't."

"How can you be sure of that?"

Hermione sighed. "Well, for a start, I left him only a minute before I found Harry, and nobody could do that much damage to a person in a minute. And secondly… I just know he wouldn't do that."

"But you can't be sure."

"I think Miss Granger's evidence would suggest that she does know." Dumbledore broke in, on his feet, sternly warning the witch to not press her further.

"The hair was too long." Hermione pointed out. "The hair I saw. It can't have been Draco's."

"Very well, you may go back to you seat." Hermione nodded, gratefully, thrilled to be able to resume her place beside Draco but then…

"Draco Malfoy. If you'd like to make your way down here." As they passed one another on the steps, their eyes met, and Hermione tried to give an encouraging smile, but Draco seemed to look straight on through.

By the time Hermione had sat back down, the woman had already begun to question Draco. Hermione saw the resolute look in his eye, and knew everything would be ok.

"Draco Malfoy, would you please tell the court what you reported in regards to your father."

Draco defiantly looked around. "When I first heard of Hermione and Harry's attack, I knew immediately it could only be one of three people. It was either Bellatrix Lestrange, my father, Lucius Malfoy, or the Dark Lord." He took a breath. "Bellatrix wouldn't dare. She tried to attack Harry before, and the Dark Lord was very disappointed at her, she wouldn't dare do it again. You-Know-Who himself would also not dare, if it'd been him, he'd have killed them straight away. This was too traceable. So that left Lucius. It made sense. When Hermione woke up, she recognized me as her attacker. She was wrong, but I'm sure everybody here will agree there are similarities in our appearances, an easy mistake to make."

As he fell silent, Draco felt all eyes bearing down upon him. "He's guilty, and I want to see him back in Azkaban." His eyes fell to the ground, unable to look at anyone.

"I think we've heard enough." The woman stood above him spoke quietly and calmly. "Lucius Malfoy." Lucius looked up. He appeared to be undeniably bored. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

He shrugged. "If I did, would it make any difference?" He smirked at the deathly silence of the crowd. "Thought not."

He stood up, stretching. "Let's get this over with then."

The judge rose. "Lucius Malfoy. This court finds you guilty of the attack of several fifteen-year-old children, the use of the cruciatus curse on Harry Potter, and the use of an unknown and fatal curse on Miss Hermione Granger. I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment in Azkaban."

A swarm of dementors flooded through the door to the courtroom and the whole place went icily cold. "Take him away." They wrapped their scarred and deadly claws around Lucius's wrists and he obediently followed.

As he passed his son his hissed in his ear. "This isn't the end, Draco. You'll see. I may not be able to have revenge on you're and your mudblood slut, but others will." Draco turned away, letting Lucius pass.

* * *

"Well, I have to say, I think you made quite an impression." Blaise put down his mug of coffee down on the table. Hermione kissed Draco lovingly on the cheek.

"He's right you know. Harry says the Order are all starting to trust you now."

"Oh good, I'm thrilled."

"Dra, come on. You know you mean that." Blaise pointed out.

Draco shrugged. "Maybe."

Hermione heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Well, it's all over now, isn't it? All the excitement."

"Nah!" Blaise grinned mischievously. "Something fun or utterly terrifying is bound to come along soon, and then you'll be alright again, Hermione. We all know you love the fast life."

She narrowed her at him. "And what is that supposed to mean." She quipped. Blaise and Draco laughed at her, whilst Hermione sat and glared.

"He just means you liked to be involved in the dangerous stuff. You, and Potter and the Weasel" Draco explained.

"Yeah, the brains." Blaise indicated Hermione.

"And beauty." Draco smiled at her, taking her hand, and she smiled back.

"Weasel was the brawn, or at least was at the end there." Blaise said, thoughtfully. "And Potter was the hero."

Silence fell upon them, as they all thought about the company they were with. Hermione was still the brains, Blaise had enough muscle and bulk to be the brawns, and though Draco was no hero, he'd shown he could come through when he needed to.

Blaise cleared his throat noisily.

"Anyway…" Draco said.

"Yeah, I'd better get going." Blaise stood, and thanked Hermione for her hospitality, and left.

Draco stretched. "Alone at last."

"You were amazing today." Hermione told him, cuddling up beneath his arm. He kissed her hair and she smiled.

They sat together, enjoying being in one another's arms. Finally, Hermione sighed. "Bedtime, I think. It's been a long day."

"It has." Draco stood, closely followed by Hermione. "It has."

* * *

_Ok, I've raked through this chapter in hunt for spelling and grammar mistakes, and I hope this is ok. Keep up the reviewing, I love it! Sorry this chapter's so short, I just wanted it to be the day of the trial_.

_Please review _

_xxx_


	19. What She Did

_Thank you all for your reviews! First exam in 2 days!

* * *

_

Life, Draco considered, was a petty thing. So many things could disrupt it completely, say, just for instance, having a deatheater for a father who put your new girlfriend in a coma for nearly a month, or a best friend who seemed to have taken before mentioned girlfriend's place as new resident of the home as she went out to work each day. However, the biggest disruption in Draco's life right now was the normality of it all.

"Hello… Blaise to Draco, come in Draco." Blaise waggled his fingers in Draco's line of vision and Draco finally blinked. "Thank god! Thought you'd slipped into paralysis for a minute there." Blaise wiped his brow theatrically.

Draco grinned. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About anything vaguely interesting?" Asked Blaise, as he bit off the head of a chocolate frog, happily.

"Nothing that would interest you, my thoughts had some depth to them."

Blaise pulled a face of apparent offence, and folded his arms, ready to sulk. "I have depth."

"Ok, Blaise, ok."

"Draco!" Harry Potter appeared, breathless, directly before the bickering couple. "You've got to come. Quick." He stopped trying to catch his breath. Draco and Blaise were already on their feet. It had all been too good to last.

"You're never the bearer of good news. What's happened, Potter? What's the matter?"

"It's Hermione. Just now, out in the street, on her way back here. Broad daylight." Harry bent over, trying to rid his chest of the stabbing pain across it.

Draco grabbed at Harry's shoulders. "An exact location, Potter, I need an exact location."

"Outside the Apothecary" Harry breathed.

Draco beckoned to Blaise. "Let's go."

* * *

The first thing they saw was a crowd of people, bundled together, trying to get a look at something that must be on the floor. 

"Hermione!" Draco pushed passers by out of the way and barreled through the bunch of wizards and witches. "Get out of the way!"

He finally reached Hermione, and bent over her. She looked ok. There was no blood, no bruises, no… nothing. She could have been asleep. "What happened?" He questioned the crowd.

A pompous wizard dressed in lime green spoke up. "Nobody's sure." He nodded around the group and the crowd nodded in agreement. "She was walking down the street, collided with somebody, no idea who it was, and fell to the ground and didn't get up." The man finished speaking and, noticing Draco's snarling expression, sank back into unimportance in the midst of the mass of onlookers.

"So what? She just fell?" Draco inquired, peering around the group threateningly once again. There was a general nodding motion. He looked back down at Hermione. "Lucius." He muttered.

"Dra, mate, it can't have been Lucius, he's in Azkaban." Blaise pointed out, worriedly.

"Think I don't know that?" Draco scowled. "As he was taken away, he said to me that others would have his revenge on me. This is what he meant." Blaise's look of concern intensified.

"Maybe we should get her back to your place." Draco slid his arms through her arms, and her knees and lifted her up. She was feather-light, yet there was a heaviness he knew was not good. "Good. Get her back to yours. I'll get myself to Hogwarts and see if I can get help from a teacher, Dumbledore even." Blaise apparated, leaving Draco to battle through the swarms of pestering shoppers.

"For fucks sake move!" Draco yelled through them all, causing them to finally part to let him through.

He valiantly carried her back to Quality Quidditch Supplies. He nodded to his landlord behind the desk, who stared at him confusedly, but Draco ignored him, and carried Hermione up the stairs.

When inside, he lay her down on her bed, stroking the hair out of her face, just as he'd done before when she'd been in Saint Mungo's.

In no time at all, Blaise appeared, with Dumbledore by his side. "What happened?" Dumbledore immediately asked, swiftly moving to Draco's side, peering down at Hermione.

"Nobody's sure." Draco started to explain. "Apparently she was walking down Diagon Alley, coming home from work, when she knocked into some man, she fell to the ground, and did not get up again."

Dumbledore, felt Hermione's wrists, and then her throat for a pulse. "She's fine." He reassured Draco. "A simple deep slumber hex, almost indistinguishable from unconsciousness or even death."

"I knew it wouldn't be anything awful." Draco muttered. "I just panicked a little."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched into a small smile. "I dare say you did. But, please do not take offence, the health of Miss Granger is no longer our priority." He led Blaise and Draco through to Draco's living room, where he sat himself down on the couch, and indicated the pair of them should do the same. "Our priority now is discovering who did this to her, and why."

"I could give it a pretty good guess." Draco offered. "Deatheaters, friends of my father's. He threatened they'd have revenge on me for sending him back to Azkaban barely a month ago, and now look."

Dumbledore considered him thoughtfully. "Draco, where is your mother?"

"My – what?"

"Your mother." Dumbledore said, patiently. "Where is she?"

Draco looked at him, astounded. "What's she got to do with any of this?" He demanded.

"Just tell the man, Dra." Blaise urged.

Draco sighed moodily, a stubborn expression crossing his pale face. "She's in hiding. She did something that, if it came out, she'd be in a lot of trouble for, so father made her hideout since."

"How long ago was this?" Dumbledore inquired, calmly.

"Just over a year ago."

"Ah, your mother was the one responsible for poor Nymphadora's death?" Realization lit up the old face, and Draco felt his own darken.

"So what if she was." He hissed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "We did suspect." Draco looked up at him at the light heartedness of his words. "Tonks is now a ghost. Her life was dedicated to the Order, as her afterlife now is. Her death made little difference."

Draco scowled. "So why do you want to know about mother all of a sudden?"

"Because I think she may be the one who did this to Miss Granger." He explained.

"You think – why?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Well, your mother, Narcissa Malfoy, as you know, is not a deatheater. She is not capable of committing a murderous act. Oh, she killed Tonks, yes, but from Tonks' description of her death, it was more an accident than murder." He peered at the two puzzled faces before him, one light, one dark, one quizzical, one angry. "This leads me to believe that, out of loyalty to her husband, she attacked the thing that means most to you right now. Miss Granger. She dare not attack you directly out of shame."

Blaise, who had been silent for almost the entire conversation, spoke up. "But why do you think it was Narcissa? Why not some other deatheater?"

"Well." Dumbledore fidgeted in his seat, making himself more comfortable. "It is merely a hunch, a theory if you will. A deatheater would have probably killed Miss Granger, or at least done her lasting damage, but, by tomorrow morning, she will be perfectly healthy once more. This leads me to believe the attacker was not a deatheater, but was still loyal to Lucius Malfoy, and who else fits that description better than Narcissa Malfoy?"

"Great parents I have." Draco sulked. "One attacks my girlfriend and puts her in a for three weeks, the other apparently kills a woman by accident, doesn't bother to contact me for two years, and now attacks the same girlfriend."

Both Blaise and Dumbledore sighed in sympathy. "Yes, your family is rather a problem."

"So…" Draco looked to Dumbledore. "What can we do about it?"

"Nothing. Not just yet. You do not know where your mother is hiding and nor do we. The only thing we can really incriminate her for is hexing in public, and that's hardly against the law anymore." Dumbledore sighed again.

"But, that woman's murder -"

"Oh, Tonks won't press charges for that, she's adamant it was an accident."

"So all we can do is sit around and wait for something else to happen?" Blaise asked, hardly believing it.

"I'm afraid so."

Dumbledore looked over to Draco's mantel. "May I use some of your floo powder? I wish to visit Mr Potter and Miss Weasley before returning to Hogwarts"

"Of course." Draco and Blaise stood up as Dumbledore strolled towards the fireplace. "Thank you for coming, professor."

Dumbledore smiled through his beard. "No problem." He grabbed at a handful of the powder, and ducked into the fireplace. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you all soon. Give Miss Granger my best. Be sure to let me know if there is any further activity on your mother's part."

"Will do." Draco shook Dumbledore's outstretched hand, as did Blaise. Dumbledore threw the powder into the flames, and was gone.

The pair sat down once more, both deep in thought. "Who'd have thought it?" Blaise said wonderingly. "Meaning no offence of course, but your mum?"

Draco scowled. "You think I'm proud of her?"

Blaise chuckled. "Of course not, it's just so unexpected."

Draco sighed heavily. "So what does he want me to do? Just wait until Narcissa does something else to hurt Hermione?"

"You heard what he said, she's not going to hurt her, just use her to get to you." Blaise attempted to reassure him. "Just warn Hermione to be careful. She's one clever witch, she may be able to stop it if she realizes someone is after her."

A rustling came from the room where Hermione lay, and both turned to look. Nothing happened, and the room went silent again. "You want me to stay here tonight? Just in case?" Blaise asked tentatively, unsure of what response he'd receive.

"Sure. Why not? I don't imagine my mother will have the guts to attack here, but just incase, you know, Hermione. If something more happens, if Dumbledore was wrong…" He trailed off, he wanted Blaise to stay with them, but was not sure why. "You can kip out here. The sofa's comfortable enough, and I'm sure you could use your extensive skills at transfiguration to sort it out if he's not." Blaise pulled a face in reply. "Or you could ask me to do it for you."

Blaise flopped back lazily onto the sofa, spreading himself out greedily. "Nah, this is fine."

Draco left Blaise to his settling in, and went to see Hermione. She had changed position, which must have been the rustling he had heard. She looked peaceful. Draco could see just by looking at her now how stupid he had been to think her damaged.

He kissed her, lightly and carefully on the forward, determined not to disturb her, and tucked the blankets further up around her, to protect from the harsh February chill.

He returned to find Blaise thoughtfully gazing up at the ceiling. "How is she?" He asked, without looking to his friend.

"She's fine." Draco fell down into the armchair, and watched as Blaise continued to stare fixatedly at the ceiling. "What you thinking about?"

Blaise finally removed his gaze and looked to his friend of over seven years. "I know it's weird, but I was wondering how Potter and the Weasley girl are fairing, I mean, it's not been the easiest of times for them either."

Draco nodded in agreement. "I know how you mean. I've been wondering the same thing." They sat in silence. Draco's mind was flooded with images of Potter, how awful he'd looked when first Draco had visited Saint Mungo's, he thought of the Weasley girl, Ginny, he thought her name was. He remembered the sin his father had done to her all those years before, feeding her to his Lord.

He looked over to Blaise, to find his friend asleep. He grinned, missing the time and fun they'd had together, living together at Hogwarts, neither of the ever dreaming their lives would be anything like they were now.

Draco stretched and yawned, suddenly feeling the weariness of the day. He stood up, heading to Hermione's bedroom, where he kissed her once more, and left her, to go to bed in his own room.

* * *

_Please review_

_xxx_


	20. Waking Up

Hermione woke up slowly, with very little memory of how she'd got to her bed. The room was dark, but she recognized the feel of her own bed. She tentatively sat up, unsure if she'd sustained injury, she certainly ached. She felt the side of her head, and found a bruised lump there, though couldn't think how she'd got it.

"Lumos." She muttered to her wand, and the tip lit up, showing her the surroundings. Yes, it was her room in Draco's apartment. Hermione looked down at herself and was surprised to see she was still wearing the clothes she'd worn to work the day before.

Apart from the lump on her head, she seemed to be fine.

The light shining around her closed curtains told her it was morning, so she got up. Hermione stretched, and she felt dirty in her already thoroughly worn clothes. After all, she presumed it was yesterday she put them on, but she really had no way of being sure. She pulled fresh clothes from her cupboard, and headed to the bathroom.

Draco's apartment had, at a first glance, appeared empty, but as she passed the sofa, she couldn't help but notice there was a hulking, handsome, dark skinned man sleeping on the couch who certainly wasn't usually there. She grinned at the thought of what Blaise would say when she announced she'd seen him drooling on Draco's very expensive couch.

Unsurprisingly, the bathroom was free, it was early and Draco liked to sleep late, and, as far as she knew, Blaise was the only other person who'd decided to spend the night. She peeled off the worn clothes and stepped under the hot jet of water. The water washed away what was left of her drowsiness, and she felt her memory flood back.

She's been coming home from work, walking fast down Diagon Alley, eager to see Draco when she'd been barged into by someone. Hermione hadn't seen their face, but the hand holding the wand that had been jabbed into her stomach had looked feminine. Hermione couldn't remember anything more.

She stepped out of the shower as she heard a light knock on the door. "Hello?" She called, inviting a response.

"Uh, Hermione? Is that you?" Blaise voice rang out tentatively through the door. "You awake then."

Hermione grinned to herself as she rubbed her hair dry. "Yes, Blaise, I do believe I am now awake."

"Oh well, that's good." She could hear the relief in Blaise's voice. She wrapped the towel tightly around herself. Hermione picked up her clothes and unlocked the door. "Oh." Blaise stepped back swiftly to let her pass, a little taken aback that she was allowing him to see her in nothing more than a towel.

Hermione strode past him, unable to resist adding a slight strut as she felt Blaise's eyes upon her. "You know, you don't look very intelligent with your mouth hanging open like that." She called back to him, closing her door as she went back to her room.

Blaise swung around when he heard a yawn behind him. Draco looked back at him, bleary eyed, fingers running through his white-blonde bed hair.

"She up yet?" He asked, blinking rapidly, focusing slowly on Blaise.

"She…?" Draco detected a hint of guilt on Blaise's flushing face.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How many "she's" are there here?" He smirked as Blaise face reddened even more.

"O, you mean Hermione!"

"Obviously. Now, is she up?" Draco pushed past Blaise towards Hermione's room.

Before he could knock, it swung open, narrowly missing hitting him in the face. "Oh." Hermione looked pleasantly surprised at the sight of Draco. "Morning."

Draco didn't hesitate. He took her in his arms and kissed her face, her hair, her neck. "Thank god." He looked her in the eyes, hands cupping her face. "Dumbledore said you'd be ok, but I still was worried."

Hermione stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his forehead lovingly. "How about you two explain to me what happened?"

* * *

The morning was spent contemplating the reasons and methods behind Narcissa's actions. The extremities one would go to for the revenge of a spouse, even at the risk of hurt to a son. Hermione remembered nothing of her attack or her attacker, not helping to prove Dumbledore's theory.

"It just seems a bit stupid." Draco said, running his hands through his already thoroughly run through hair. "For my mother, I mean. From what I know she was a bit like you at school, Hermione, top of the class, only, you know, a few more… Slytherin qualities shall we say."

Hermione sighed. "This is ridiculous. I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine." She looked straight at Draco. "You've already said your mother isn't capable of anything particularly damaging, so what can we do?"

"I'm just worried I've underestimated her."

Hermione took his hand in hers and gave him an encouraging smile. "I swear, there's hardly an ounce of evil in you, Draco Malfoy. A few uncouth remarks and sarcastic looks, yes, but no evil. It must have come from one of your parents, and it sure as hell wasn't your father."

* * *

Harry Potter had heard little since Hermione attack the previous week. It unnerved him, how much had changed between them. If he'd been told a year before that it would be Draco Malfoy Hermione would turn to in times of crisis rather than himself, he'd have never believed it. But here he was, worried desperately about his best friend, who seemed to have forgotten he existed.

A small hand slipped itself into his, and he turned to see Ginny watching him, concern rippling in her green eyes. "She'll be fine, Harry." She told him. "Just go and see her if you're so worried."

He let out a hollow laugh. "I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about my friendship with her. I've not even spoken to her since she was attacked. I have no idea what's going on."

"She's not keeping you in the dark deliberately, Harry."

"Maybe not." Harry sighed deeply, and watched as the rain slid heavily down the window pain of Grimmauld Place. "But it really does feel like it."

* * *

_Wooo. I'm back! With an extraordinarily short chapter. I do apologize. The reason behind it was simply that I couldn't think of how to extend it at all without making it tedious and I need a new plot bit to come in the next one… or something. Haven't really thought about it yet. I've completely forgotton how to use this! Oh well. welcome me back with comments! _

_Love to all_

_xxx_


	21. The End

* * *

"So, I did it." She told herself, running her slender, chalk white fingers through her sleek blonde hair. "I took one back for us. One more slice of respect won back from that boy and his mudblood girl."

She got to her feet, legs trembling at the unfamiliar feeling of being upright. Since he'd left, she'd spent so long sat down, staring out of windows, into space, at the wall. Now she felt some of the strength she had felt before flooding back to her. She felt the old feeling of pride settling back down after being so mercilessly disrupted.

As she strode across the vast, monochrome room towards the bed, her long dress fluttering about her ankles, she remembered what it had all been like before, and the realization of how short a time ago that had been suddenly struck her. "It's been only a month. Four of the longest weeks of my life have past by since he left, and now I am alone, still, in this house. But I am fighting back." But it was not enough she knew. It was not even near enough. They were still together, her son and that muggle scum. It would not do. So long as they were together, he would be happy.

She sat down gracefully on the bed, her light weight failing to let even the slightest squeak escape from the beds ancient, thoroughly worn out springs. "I have to do something bigger." A small trickle of excitement was caught up in her blood. "Something to tear his world apart! I have to do something more to that girl, something less curable, something that will certainly twist the knife I've surely already planted through his heart."

"I'm going mad." She told herself. "I'm going insane, this is my son, and I'm thinking of knives in hearts, hurting the one girl he's truly learnt to care for. What am I thinking?"

A tiny spasm bought Narcissa's neck twitching to the side, and the thoughts of knives through her son's heart suddenly became more appealing, more inviting, more delightful. "He'd do it for me." The image of Lucius' face swam across her the wall at which she had been staring. "He promised he'd do anything to keep me happy, and to this day he's kept his promise, and I should do the same for him, it's only right, it's only fair." She scratched at the back of her hand distractedly, blinking away her husband's face.

"I miss my son." The thought hit her like bomb, destroying all violent thoughts in her head. "I miss my son." She whispered, hardly daring to let it sink in, hoping it would pass as soon as she heard it aloud. It didn't. Soon she felt tears stinging the corners of her neglected, bare eyes, which were usually lined heavily with makeup. She cried, letting Lucius' face be replaced by that of her son, her baby, her angel, who had left her alone in favor of a mudblood.

It was that girl she did not like. Not Draco. The girl who'd stolen him away. She would pay. She would pay for what she had destroyed. If it hadn't been for her, Lucius would not have been sent to Azkaban, Draco would not have left, never to be heard from again. If it hadn't been for her and that _Order _she herself would not have to be here, staring out at this unfamiliar landscape, missing her own manor house.

Hermione Granger had ruined it all. With that thought clearer in her head than any before, Narcissa Malfoy swiftly got to her feet once more.

* * *

"Do you want your coffee black or white, Blaise?" Hermione's voice sounded from the kitchen and Blaise, Harry and Draco looked up from their game of exploding snap. Nearly a month had passed with no further attacks, no threats or, pretty much anything from people they'd rather not hear from.

"Um, black please, Hermione." Blaise replied, before turning directly back to the game. Harry was looking at Draco, whose worried expression was reflected on the face of the black haired boy.

"What are you thinking, Draco?" Harry asked, bringing Draco out of his reverie.

Draco sighed deeply. "I know I shouldn't be, but I'm starting to get a bit concerned we haven't heard anything from Narcissa."

"It may have just passed. She's got her revenge. That could be the end of it." He tried a reassuring smile but Draco didn't catch it.

"I know. That's what I'm hoping, but something just doesn't feel right. She'd have tried to make contact or something. She wouldn't have just left it."

Harry gave him a defeated look before turning away. "You know her far better than I, so I know I can not try to pretend to you that I too have been a little concerned."

Blaise ignored their conversation, gratefully accepting the mug of black coffee Hermione handed him as she sat daintily down beside Draco. "What are you concerned about?" She asked, her expression merely curious. Little got past her these days. More so than ever before, Hermione was constantly on the look out for information, suspicious conversations and anybody different in a regular crowd.

Draco turned his blue eyes onto her. There was care in those eyes Harry had never seen before, never expected to see in Malfoy, yet here he was, playing cards with the boy he'd once hated, who now loved his best friend. "We're just discussing my mother once again." Draco told her.

"Must you?" Hermione sighed. "I'm almost fed up of hearing about it. Nothing's happened for a month now, we must just presume she feels we've learnt our lesson." She slouched heavily against the couch, the fatigue of being on constant lookout displayed on her delicate face.

"I'm sorry, darling." Darling? Harry thought. Since when was Malfoy a "darling" man? "But you must realize it's not right."

Hermione let her dark eyes drift between the three of them, taking in Harry's determinedly calm demeanor she was so used to, Draco's blazing expression, and Blaise's wonderful dismissal of the urgency obviously felt by the two men opposite him. "Ok." She admitted huffily. "It doesn't feel quite right, but try to see this from my point of view. I'm fed up of always having to look over my shoulder as I walk down corridors or down the street. I'm fed up of having to have all my food made right in front of me before I can eat it, or not leaving any of my possessions unattended. I hate this sensation that I'm a time bomb just waiting to be detonated and then that'll be it. The end of Hermione Granger when, to me, it feels as if the danger's passed.

"You're right." Harry said. His eyes were beaming at her though his lips remained emotionless. "You're absolutely right, of course you are, but you have to understand the position this is putting Draco and myself and Blaise in as well." He looked to the other two for support but found none. " We care about you. Draco and I would die if anything were to happen to you…"

"I wouldn't be too thrilled either." Blaise cut in, grinning at Hermione. "Best coffee brewer in the country, I'd say."

"Thanks, Blaise." Hermione laughed.

Harry continued. "Seriously though 'Mione. You've been next to dead twice in the past year. How do you think that makes us feel? Draco and I… and Blaise have had to stand by and watch you practically die twice."

"Technically you were pretty much dead yourself through one of those times, Potter." Blaise pointed out, but was ignored.

"We're worried about you. I just want you to realize what danger you're in." Harry gave Hermione's hand a squeeze.

Draco took her other hand in his, bringing her attention onto him. "I know it's been tough for you, having to be so careful, but we don't really know what Narcissa's planning, and until we know that, you're not safe as far as we're concerned." He bought her fingers to his lips and kissed them warmly, making her smile.

"Maybe you could just take it down a notch though." Blaise added. "I mean, watching restaurant people cook your food? That's just weird!"

"I never thought I'd say this." Harry said. "But Blaise is right. You should take it down a level, relax a bit."

Hermione nodded gratefully. "Ok, I will. Now that I have your permission."

Harry acknowledged the sarcastic note in her voice but chose to ignore it. "I'm just trying to look after you."

"I can look after myself. You should know that by now, Harry." Hermione said pointedly.

"But can you though?" Draco asked. "Like Harry says, that's twice they've managed to get you now, twice in the past year. That's not much of a track-record, Hermione."

Hermione snorted. "I'd like to remind you all who was the most successful Head Girl Hogwarts has ever seen? Who received straight "Outstanding" grades in their NEWTs? Who…"

"We get the idea, you're amazing." Blaise said, cutting Hermione off. "But it just takes one mistake, one lapse in concentration, then for all we know, that _could_ be the end of Hermione Granger."

* * *

_It is ten to one here, and I am still awake. I have arachnophobic and I saw a spider right by my bed nearly two hours ago and now I cannot sleep. At least I'm not doing anything tomorrow. By the way, if anybody's read that thing about some guy who has hacked onto JK Rowling's system and is saying that Hermione's being killed off, then it's pretty much bullshit. Emma Watson was talking about it in some article I read the other day. Film comes out in twelve days. I'm actually so excited. Also, don't know if you get this in America, which is where I know a lot of you are, but did anybody see the Doctor Who finale!? Oh my god. I do love David Tennant. _

_Sorry about the random half conversation there, got a bit carried away. _

_Please review_

_xxx_


	22. Trouble in Paradise

_Here is an interesting fact about me: I found out the other day that I'm stressed out of my mind. This was discovered through dream interpretation. I get horribly vivid dreams and they often recur, and all mine point to me being stressed. The only problem is, I don't know what I'm meant to be stressed about! This is a bit of a Blaise centered chapter. It wasn't meant to be, but that's how it came out._

* * *

Hermione sat at her desk and stared out of the window. Her mind was completely blank as the steady April showers blurred her view of the London Street below. Ginny was starting to worry about her. Common sense told her that she was more troubled than she made out to Harry and Draco, but she couldn't find the words to encourage Hermione to confide in her. She just sat there as people brushed busily past her desk, gazing blankly despite the noise of the office.

"Um, Hermione, you've been looking through there an awfully long time, I'm starting to get a little worried." Ginny began, and Hermione finally turned around.

"Sorry, Ginny, what did you say?"

"I said I'm worried about you. This isn't like you, sitting around not doing anything whilst there's work to be done and a world to be saved." She grinned at her friend as a weak smile spread across Hermione's face. "Seriously though, 'Mione, what's troubling you so?"

Hermione's brief smile faded. "Everything." She said softly. "I miss my home. I miss feeling safe. I miss being carefree…" She trailed off, knowing that, were she to continue, they could be there a very long time.

Ginny considered her. "Maybe you just need a break." She suggested.

"What? A break from my existence? I hardly think that's possible, Gin."

"No, just a break from being a witch. Go home to your parents' house, I know you haven't seen them in ages. You'll be harder to find there so you can hide you're wand away. Play at being a muggle for a little while."

Hermione thought about it. "You know, that might just work."

"Yeah it will!" Ginny grinned. Hermione's face remained reluctant.

"But my job… Draco…"

"You could always just take Draco with you."

"Sounds like an excellent plan to me."

* * *

Blaise was slouched on the couch, popping his lips distractedly. Draco was similarly position in the opposite leather armchair, watching Blaise was distaste. It was the same ritual they repeated everyday, the wait for Hermione to return home. Too many times before they'd panicked when she'd been a minute or two late and had apparated to the ministry, only to be told to go home, she was on her way.

The door snapped shut and they both turned to see her stood in the doorway, laden down with heavy books. Draco was immediately at her side, trying to extract the books from her arms, but she turned away. "I can manage perfectly well on my own, thank you."

Draco raised his hands in surrender as Hermione disappeared into her room to set her books down on her bed. When she returned it was to find Draco and Blaise in the same spot she discovered them in every day. "You know, the two of you should get hobbies." She suggested. They both laughed sarcastically.

"Very funny."

"Blaise, what would you think if I told you I wanted to give up being a witch for a while?" Hermione asked.

Blaise shot a pleading look at Draco, taken aback to be asked such an odd question, but Draco looked just as confused as Blaise felt. "I'd say… good luck with that, I'm sure the wizarding world will miss you?" He tried, and breathed a sigh of relief at the satisfied look Hermione gave him.

"Well that's settled then."

"Excuse me, what's settled?" Draco cut in.

"You and I are going to stay with my parents for a while." Hermione smiled freely, but her grin was met only with a completely blank expression.

"I'm sorry, what? Have you forgotten that there is a crazy woman out to get you, namely, my mother?"

Hermione shrugged. "That's why I think I need a break. Won't I be less easy to track in the muggle world anyway? It's unfamiliar to Narcissa, and she has no idea where my parents live."

"You know she's right, Dra." Blaise said thoughtfully.

"But her job? Potter? The Weasley girl? This place?" He gestured round at the apartment exasperated.

Blaise looked between Hermione and Draco, spotted how Hermione's eager eyes had turned to ones full of anxiety. "Dra, I pretty much live here anyway, I don't mind a spot of house sitting."

"And I've got all the work I need, they are letting me take the time off." Hermione tried to explain. "Harry and Ginny both fully support then idea, and they can reach me in an emergency." Draco still looked worried. "I really want to do this, Draco." She sat down beside him, and looked up at him, pouting. "Please say you'll come with me."

It was no use, he had to give in. He gave a sigh of surrender, and kissed Hermione on the forehead. "Fine. I'll go."

"You did say you wanted to meet my parents someday." Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah, but I wasn't serious. I'm shit with meeting people's parents who aren't deatheaters."

Hermione giggled. "Well, look at it this way: try and think of an impression you could make on my parents that would be worse than the one I made on yours."

* * *

Narcissa sat across the street, huddled in a black shawl, guarding against the April rainfall. It was not time yet. The time had not yet come when her plan would have the great effect she wanted.

There would come a time when the relationship would become tense, untrusting, brittle, so unlike it was now.

Narcissa rubbed at the tip of her nose roughly, the friction between the skins producing heat, which center pointed all emotions to the tip of that pointed nose. She laughed hollowly, though she did not know why.

It is strange sometimes, the way the mind wonders, and strange feelings and sensations prick at the façade of reality we believe we live in.

She clutched at the shawl, wishing these thoughts to leave her, these thoughts that confused her, and made her feel lost in her own mind. The one place in which we know ourselves to be right, she was no longer sure of.

The cool paving stones beneath her felt as icy as the breeze that blew around her. This was so unlike her. Since when did she, the proud Narcissa Black, sorry, Malfoy, ever sit on the side of a busy street, dressed in nothing more than rags, looking like some common muggle beggar.

_What's happened to me? _She wondered, very aware of the rain dribbling down her face. _Where are you now, now that I need you? Why am I here at all? This is my son. _Again this was the thought that truly hit her hard.

It's my son, the child I brought up. My blood runs through his veins, and I wish to destroy the love of his life.

She clung onto the shawl around her shoulders, and sank into the shadows.

* * *

Ron Weasley was sat, lips pursed, eyes down, at his kitchen table. His new bride was brewing a storm in the room at steam as furious as the two of them were billowed from the bubbling pots cooking on the other side of the room.

"You know what? I don't even believe this. It's ridiculous, Ron." Vikki kept her back to him, seemingly unable to look at him. "I don't believe you're overreacting like this."

Ron jumped to his feet, his stool flying backwards, finally causing Vikki to swing round. "Overreacting? Do you think I don't know what's going on? You know, The Prophet may have made me out to be the fool, but I'm not, and you certainly can't play me like you seem to think you can."

In a second, Vikki changed. "A fool? Ron, you know I'd never think that about you. I don't know what you're talking about." She sidled up to him, slinking her skinny arms around his neck, and tried to kiss him, smashing her mouth against his.

He pushed her away. "You make me sick."

"Oh dear, trouble in paradise?" Ron looked over his shoulder to see Blaise Zabini stood in the middle of the room. His Slytherin traits shown clearly through his use of the infamous Slytherin King smirk.

Ron's hands clenched into fists, and he stood, square shouldered, facing the man before him. Blaise turned his hands to casually glance at his nails. It had the desired effect, humiliation seemed to wash over the Weasel, and his face turned nearly as red as his hair.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. That's what you get for marrying scum like her." He pointed to Vikki, whose mouth was hanging open, stupidly. "Rather than keeping up a relationship with someone like Hermione. It's karma, mate. Can't avoid it."

He laughed and turned to leave.

* * *

Blaise was still laughing as he pushed open the door to Draco and Hermione's apartment. Two large suitcases stood in the center of the room. Both piled high with personal belongings. He could hear bangs and moans coming from Draco's room and instantly guessed what was going on. _No need for my marriage counseling skills here. _

He sat patiently on the couch, waiting for them to appear. Unlike many men Blaise knew, he wasn't the sort to get off on listening to other people have sex. All it did was make him realize just how alone he was. Working day and night for the Order, being with Draco and Hermione, paying visits to people such as Ronald Weasley who needed a good talking to once in a while. Never meeting anybody new though. The path he had chosen had lead him straight to loneliness, and no one would ever be allowed to see how much it bothered him.

Eventually the couple reappeared in the doorway, hand-in-hand looking content. Both blushed when they spotted Blaise sat facing them. "You do realize Hermione's parents are very unlikely to let you do that in their house."

Hermione giggled, whilst Draco's lip curled. "That's why we're fitting as much as we can in now." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

Blaise tutted happily, pleased to see them getting along so well. "Well, anyway, I just came by to tell you that I just paid a visit to our dear friend Mr. Weasley."

They both looked up, both faces marked with interest. "Please tell me he's miserable." Begged Draco.

Blaise nodded and was shocked by the similarity of the smirks on both Draco's and Hermione's faces. "You really need to stop spending so much time with Draco." He warned Hermione. "You're starting to look alike." Her face instantly dropped back into her trademark "taking-in-everything-you-tell-me" expression. "But yeah, seems Ronald's having a bit of trouble with the little wife. Sounded like she's been having a little fun away from home."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "The little ho!" She exclaimed, though she was unable to mask the fleeting feeling of happiness at the thought of Ron being miserable.

"Why were you at Weasley's in the first place?" Draco asked, curiously, his lips still curled in pleasure for the same reason as Hermione.

"Just thought I'd pay a visit. I was a wedding guest after all." Blaise shrugged. "But, yeah, just thought I'd drop by and give a little to you both, thought it seems if the pair of you get any more happiness you may explode." He winked at Draco who scoffed in response. Hermione face reddened once more. "Oh well, let me know when you need me." Blaise laughed, and left.

* * *

_Well that was a bit of a nothingish chapter I'm afraid. I'm hoping you're all enjoying. I lost my motivation a little bit whilst writing this chapter, but luckily I got a bit of inspiration and have something of a plan in mind of where this is going to go._

_Please review_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	23. I Told You I Was Persuasive

_I just realized I rather stupidly name Hermione's dad Graham Granger. O well. Thanks to my lovely reviewers as always. I'm hoping this chapter may just spice things up a tad_.

* * *

There was a call from upstairs as Hermione slammed and locked the front door to her parents' house and stepped through to the living room, pulling a reluctant Draco behind her. They dumped their cases down as Samantha Granger appeared in the doorway.

"Hermione!" Her mum said in surprise, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "I thought you were your father home early."

Hermione tried to smile. "Well, I'm not." She shrugged.

Samantha suddenly brightened. Her mousy hair looked fully than when Hermione had last seen her mother over six month before, and her smile looked more natural now, less forced. "How dare you do this to me child." She teased, hugging her daughter finally. "I don't hear from you in months, and now you turn up unexpected on my doorstep. There should be rules about this."

She turned her attention to Draco. Samantha gave him the once over, and could feel the pull of a man she recognized back from when she was a teenager and let out a girlish giggle. "And I'm guessing this is the infamous Draco coming to visit as well."

Draco held out his hand smartly, and Samantha graciously took it. Hermione shook her head in exasperation at the blush across her mother's face. "Mum, do you mind if we stay for a while, a week, maybe two?"

Samantha released Draco's hand and turned to her daughter, eyes again ridden with curiosity and worry. "And why would you want to do that?" She looked at her daughter, trying to find some trace of a bruise, a cut, to give her reason to mother her into oblivion. "Is this about the accident you had?" She asked.

"Accident?" Draco look confused, but Hermione silenced him with one look.

"Yes, Mum, sort of. I just need to go back to be a mug- to being normal for a little while." Hermione tried to explain.

She perched on the edge of the floral patterned sofa, gesturing at Draco to sit beside her, which he did so, squirming around uncomfortably. Hermione couldn't help but notice how out of place he looked out of their monochrome apartment. The clothes he wore looked strangely plain in this room of bright patterns, and Draco would know it. She put a comforting hand on his knee, warning him to calm down. He gave a weak smile of gratitude.

"Aw, well aren't you two sweet." Samantha exclaimed, laughing as the two teenagers grimaced and immediately sprang apart.

"So um…" Hermione mumbled, struggling to find a conversation starter after that embarrassment. "Why aren't you at work?" It did not have the effect Hermione had hoped for, rather than opening up and rambling on as she usually did, Samantha seemed to shrink back into herself, a shell of the woman she had been only moments before.

"Oh, you know, just… waiting for the plumber." She trailed off. Hermione turned shrewd eyes directly to her mother's vague expression, the wringing hands and the averted gaze. Who was this woman?

The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Darkness swept across them and Hermione almost felt her blood turn to ice. She could here the screams of a hundred lost souls echoing through her head, and inexplicably felt the need to join them.

As quickly as it had started, the sensation ceased.

Samantha was sat fixed in her chair, eyes wide and she was shaking terribly. "Wh-what was that?"

Hermione looked all around her, as confused as her mother, when something terrifying became apparent.

Draco was no longer there.

* * *

"Why did you bring me here?" Draco spat, furiously trying to release his arms from the grip of the masked deatheaters holding them. The deathlike figure before him stood with regal dignity, looking down at Draco as if he were common filth.

Lord Voldemort's lipless mouth parted, and a soft, cold laugh escaped, ringing through the otherwise silent room. "You owe me a great debt, Draco." He began, descending threateningly down the stone steps. The blood red eyes met with Draco's piercing blue ones, each as hostile as the other. Draco's face was twisted in disgust. He had suspected this would happen, known The Dark Lord would never let the arrest of one of his finest go without revenge, but now that it was happening, now that he was faced with the evilest, most revolting man on earth, Draco was filled with an anger so great, he could not think of a time he'd ever felt emotion's so painful.

"I owe you nothing." Draco snarled, struggling even more aggressively against his captors, who were now struggling to keep a hold on him. He could even recognize some of them. The heavy breathing deatheater on his right had to be Crabbe's father, whilst the proud looking figure beside Voldemort could only be Mulciber. These men would once have been his allies, his friends, now Draco felt burnt at their touch, dirty to be in their presence.

The Dark Lord tittered at him pityingly as Draco let out a howl of frustration. "No, you see Draco. Your father was on a rather important mission for me, and now he is unable to carry out his plans, I need somebody to do it for him, and who would he trust more with his job than his own son." He strolled around Draco patronizingly, causing Draco's blood to boil.

"I will never follow your orders."

"Oh but I think you will. I'm sure you're aware of how persuasive I can be." Quicker than lightening, Voldemort drew his wand. He pointed it at Draco. Draco gritted his teeth, readying himself for the pain he knew would follow. "Release him." Voldemort ordered, and Draco felt his arms fall to his sides, the feeling in them numbed due to the tightness of the hold that had been around them.

"Crucio."

Nothing could have prepared Draco for the pain he felt. Nothing on earth could have readied him for the feeling that was now upon him, the feeling that his every nerve had been ignited, every muscle stretched to it's limit, every cell imploding in on itself, his brain ordering him to die.

But he would not die. He could not die. The image of Hermione's face exploded into his head. He would not go without saying goodbye. He would not leave her. He had promised he would stay, and that promise was one he needed to keep.

Draco felt a strength course through him, and the pain lifted.

"What happened?" Draco heard Voldemort cry. He smirked, still curled on the floor. He was not going to lose. "You, boy, get up!" Draco felt strong hands roughly pull him to his feet. He stood, shaking slightly, and glared at Voldemort, lip still curled, mind still set on surviving.

"You know what? I want to go back to my girlfriend's house now. I'm bored of this." He tugged his arms free of the surrounding deatheaters and look around for a way out. He was meant with solid granite walls, but no door. Not even a window. Voldemort started to laugh again. Draco tried to apparate, but it didn't work. The Dark Lord's laughter grew more and more gleeful as he watched the young man begin to panic.

"I wouldn't count on seeing Miss Granger anytime soon." He finally said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "I told you I was persuasive, Draco."

Draco tried to laugh, but it came out too high-pitched, and he was sure there was panic in his eyes. He felt sweat start to form on his brow as his eyes continued to dart around the room. Searching. His mind was racing now. He quickly counted the number of people around him, five deatheaters, and Voldemort. He was obviously a matter of great importance. The room was next. He guessed it was maybe twelve feet high, possibly twelve feet across and made of what looked like granite. No door, no cracks, no outlines of any sort. He was trapped.

"So." Draco attempted to keep his smirk in place as he turned to face Voldemort once more. "This mission, of my father's, what was it?"

Voldemort put his head on one side, a small smile on his lips that turned Draco's hands to fists. "It was quite simple really." He said, stepping closer to Draco. "I just need Harry Potter brought to me, and I need him alive."

* * *

Hermione was frantic. The day was drawing to a close and there was still no sign of Draco. She had insisted they not search, knowing they would find nothing. His disappearance would leave no marks, no remains. It had plainly been magical, and it had plainly been bad.

Her parents sat opposite her, neither of them looking at her, nor at one another. Both sipped tea, her mother's little finger stuck out, as it always was. Hermione sat rigid on the sofa, her brain working in overdrive, trying to determine what had happened.

Of course, she knew full well what was likely have happened. It was Voldemort seeking revenge. It wasn't the most complex of plans to figure out, but why now? When the ordeal with Lucius had occurred over three months before. And also, though she was trying desperately not to think about it, what was happening to Draco?

Hermione felt the sofa sink slightly as her mother sat down beside her and put what was clearly supposed to be a comforting arm around her shoulders. Hermione stiffened at the touch but, as a mother always does, Samantha stayed where she was, determined to calm her daughter. "I'm sure he'll be ok." She tried to reassure Hermione. "He looked like he was perfectly capable of handling himself."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that, thank you." Hermione snapped. "You don't understand." Her mother's arm retracted from her shoulders and fell into her lap. "I'm sorry, but it's not just that I'm worried about. Draco can look after himself, but I'm worried about why he's been taken in the first place."

"Taken?" Graham asked. "Who said he'd been taken? You're always vanishing, who's to say he didn't just have to go."

Hermione sighed impatiently. "Because that isn't what it's like to apparate, the whole point of it is that it is a discreet way of traveling without being seen by muggles. If it created an atmosphere like that whenever somebody came or went, then the chances of the wizarding community remaining a secret would be zero." She got to her feet and began pacing back and forth across the room. "I have a confession to make." She said after a while. Both of her parent's looked up. "I didn't come here because of the accident. In fact, it wasn't an accident at all, I was attacked." There was a sharp intake of breath from both Samantha and Graham, but neither of them interrupted. "I came here because of my attacker, or rather his wife."

"Do we know these people? Should we call the police? Ask for protection?"

Hermione felt anger start to churn up once more but fought to restrain it. "The police would be useless against these people."

"So who is it? Who are these people who are after you?" Samantha asked.

Hermione sat back down, knowing it was better to say this now rather than have them find out later. "Draco's parents." She muttered, just loud enough for them both to here.

Her words were followed by a stunned silence until her mother spoke. "Draco? As in your boyfriend?"

"Obviously, Sam, it's not exactly a common name." Graham hissed.

"Yes, that Draco. His father's no longer a problem, we saw to it that he's been locked away in Azkaban, but it's his mother who is now after me." She sighed again. "And this kidnap has lead me to believe that she may not be the only one out for revenge for Lucius's capture."

Her parent's looked at her blankly, and for the first time in months, Hermione found herself longing to be having this conversation with Harry and Ron, who would have instantly understood what she meant. "I believe Draco may have been taken by Lord Voldemort."

Finally the impact of what Hermione had been trying to say hit her parents, and instant panic lit in both sets of eyes. Though neither of them had ever been touched by the danger of Lord Voldemort, having Hermione Granger, best friend to the Boy Who Lived, as a daughter, had given them a better understanding of the threat Voldemort posed than they would ever have wanted.

"Y-you're saying he's after you?" Samantha stuttered.

Hermione shook her head, face blank. "Not me, no. Draco. However, we're running away together now, so it might as well be me he wants."

"Oh, Hermione…" Graham whispered, hardly believing this was his darling girl sat before him, describing how she was wanted dead by the so-called "Dark Lord". It couldn't be true.

The living room door creaked behind Hermione, and she brought her wand swiftly out of her jeans pocket, and swung around, ready to hex the visitor, but it was Draco.

* * *

_Now, I'm really rather proud of that. Told you I had a plan. Let me know what you think, as I do love here from people! _

_Please review_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	24. The Mission and the Aftermath

* * *

Draco's muscles ached even as he just stood there, looking into the Granger's living room at the three faces, all turned to him, glaring with angry eyes. Mr. Granger was the first to speak. The one Draco had never had any contact with before now.

Graham shot to his feet and rounded on Draco, face beetroot red in fury. "You've endangered my daughter!" He shouted, raising his hands as if to push Draco, before Hermione spoke.

"Daddy, no." She stood between them, protecting Draco from her father's rage. "I endangered myself." She said, voice low and defiant. "I chose to stay with Draco. I could never have guessed the consequences of my actions would be so severe, but I still choose to stay." Her face softened as she found Draco's hand and held it in hers for her parents to see. "I choose to stay because I love him. Now will you please let me speak to him alone."

He father glared at her, nostrils flared, breathing heavily, but he pushed past her, closely followed by her mother, leaving her alone with Draco.

"Thank you." Draco murmured, lowering himself down cautiously onto the sofa.

Hermione sniffed. "Don't even begin to think you're forgiven. You just left me here, sent no word of where you were or what I could do. I've been sat here all afternoon worrying about you." She couldn't help but take his hand once more, pressing it lovingly to her lips. "What does he want?" She whispered, eyes begging for information.

Draco sighed, and stiffly leaned back against the cushions. "Same as he always wants." He looked at her sadly. "Potter."

"But…" Hermione kissed his fingers once more. They were so cold. "Why now? Why you?"

"Simple enough plan, really." Draco mused blankly. "Destroy me by making me hurt you, and he gets Potter as well."

Hermione let go of his hands as though she'd been burnt. "Hurt me? How?"

Draco chuckled coldly. "You're telling me you'd keep me if I delivered your best friend to the Dark Lord." He stroked her cheek softly. "You know you couldn't."

"But you're not going to do it. Harry's your friend too."

Draco sighed once more. "You don't understand, Hermione. He has something of mine. Something I hate to think of him having. Something he's promised to give back if I do this." The remorse in his voice was so great Hermione could hardly stand in.

"What is it?" She asked calmly. "What does he have?"

"He has my mother."

* * *

The four of them sat silently around the kitchen table, knives and forks grating on china as the chicken and chips dinner Samantha Granger had produced was slowly eaten.

Hermione face was red and tear stained, the only reminder of the first time Hermione Granger had ever broken down because of confusion.

Draco was sat concentrating hard on the plate before him, refusing to meet anybody's gaze.

Both of Hermione's parents were sat uncomfortably. Graham kept giving Draco fleeting looks of anger, but they went unnoticed by everybody but his wife. He did not know what to feel. This boy was the reason his daughter was on the run from dangerous criminals, murderers whose blood ran in the boy's veins, but it was plain that she loved him. He didn't want to hurt Hermione, but he wasn't too fond of the idea of her being a marked woman either.

Hermione's food was barely touched when she left the table. She headed straight for her bedroom, closely followed by Draco.

"I don't know what you expect me to say." She said dryly as she sat down on the floor. She was surprised her parents had not yet got around to putting her bedroom to good use. It had after all been empty for over six months.

Draco sat down beside her, pulling her into him. She did not resist, but sat stiffly in his arms. "I won't do it." He told her, a little sadly. "Not if we can't come up with a way around giving Potter up."

Hermione wrung her hands in frustration. "I just wanted to get away from all of this!"

"I know you did, darling. I know." He kissed her hair. "It will stop eventually. I swear my mother is probably no real threat, and we all know Potter won't rest until the Dark Lord is out of the picture."

Hermione looked up at him curiously. "Why do you call him the Dark Lord? That's the name the deatheaters use."

Draco shrugged. "Growing up in my house, it's what you get used to." He saw the great anxiety in her eyes, and tilted her chin to make her look at him. "Do you want to go back home?"

"I don't know. I can't say we're anymore safe here than we are there, and all our stuff's there. But then I feel a bit mean just leaving my mum and dad, we did just arrive this morning. We do need to see Harry though. He would want to hear about this, and we should tell the Order as well, they need to know about it too."

"So we going home then?"

"I guess we'll have to." She scrambled to her feet and pulled Draco up. She was just heading for the door when he caught her by the arm.

"Hey." He pulled her in towards him and kissed her, passionately, his hands running up and down her back, making her shiver.

She broke away, narrowing her eyes at him, but smiling. "What was that for?"

He laughed, kissing her on the forehead happily. "Every guy's got to make out with his girlfriend in her parents' house! It's like a law. I just figured now is, maybe not the most appropriate of times I grant you, but the first opportunity we've had."

She reached up, bringing his face down to kiss her once more. His hands left her back and slid down to her butt, she smiled into their kiss, her fingers gently stroking his silky blonde hair. He began to unbutton the first few buttons of her shirt, but she pulled away.

"Kissing we can do here. _That,_ we can't." She told him sternly, briskly buttoning her shirt once more.

"Can't blame me for trying." He winked at her, making her smile.

"Well, I guess I'd better go and tell them we're leaving again."

"You know, I think I'll stay up here. I got the impression your dad doesn't like me very much."

She laughed at him, and ran down the stairs. Hermione was fully aware she ought to be scared, terrified even, at the thought of so many dark wizards after her, but she was not. Just knowing she had Draco by her side was enough to keep her calm, her mind constantly looking for a way to fix it.

"Hermione, dear?" Samantha and Graham were still seated at the kitchen table. Samantha looked nervous, Graham stubborn. "Hermione…" She said tentatively. "Your father and I have been talking and… well, we think it's best you and Draco leave. I'm sorry dear."

Hermione was a little taken aback. "Um, it's ok, I was just coming down to tell you we feel the same."

Samantha got to her feet, and embraced her daughter, squeezing her tightly, as though she didn't want to let her go. "You have to understand, Hermione. We just fear for your safety here. We're no good under a wizard attack." She whispered, tears in her gray eyes.

"It's fine, mum, honestly." Hermione looked over her mother's shoulder at her father, who was still sat down, gritting his teeth. "Dad?"

"Hermione. I just want you to know that we're here. Anytime you need us, anytime you want to come home." He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "If that Jacko boy gives you any hassle…" He slammed a fist into his palm threateningly, which made Hermione and her mother laugh.

Samatha rubbed her husbands shoulder in a half supportive, half pitying sort of way. "Graham, dear, I don't think Draco would have much trouble if you decided to try that."

Graham grumbled irritably. Samantha turned back to Hermione, and gave her another hug. "Stay safe ok? And let us know what's going on!"

"Of course I will mum. I do feel bad for just leaving though, without even staying one night…" Hermione bit her lip. "Oh, I'll see you soon, I promise." She waved to them as she left the room, heading back up the stairs towards her bedroom.

* * *

Draco was sat on the floor, nervously twirling his wand through his fingers. He looked up at her as she came in. His blonde hair, she thought, mixed with his true aryan eyes and body gave him the appearance of an anxious angel. She reached down and took his hand to help pull him to his feet. He stood so close to her she could feel his breath hot on her cheek. He stayed there, his eyes fixed on her so intently she couldn't help but blush and look away. "Time to go." She whispered. He took her hands, and together they apparated back to their normal lives.

* * *

They found Blaise snoring on Draco's bed, sprawled out comfortably. Draco reached out with his wand to poke him, but Hermione held him back. "Do you think that's safe?" She asked, looking down Blaise hulking (topless) body. "Blaise will hopefully be on red alert. He'll be expecting an intruder."

Draco sighed but continued to reach out. "How many intruders would awaken the protector of the house?"

"A strange one, I grant you, but they may be out there." Draco laughed softly, and wand made contact with smooth dark skin. Blaise twitched, but did not wake. Draco prodded him harder and Blaise swatted at his arm, still fast asleep.

Hermione stepped forward, pulling out her own wand. She muttered under her breath, and Blaise's eyes suddenly sprang open. He sprang out of bed, looking around to see what had happened.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Draco who mockingly bowed to her. "You win." He left the room, and she followed, leaving Blaise to recover from his sudden jolt back to consciousness.

At last Blaise traipsed into the living room, collapsing into the armchair and accepting the mug of strong black coffee Hermione offered him.

"You're a crap house sitter." Draco told him plainly. Blaise gave a crooked, apologetic smile. "Remind me not to use you again. We'd only been gone a few hours."

Blaise set the already half empty mug of coffee onto the coffee table and stretched. "Good thing you're back then really." He laughed. "So why are you back so soon? I assume you're dying to tell me, which is why you needed to wake me in such an unsociable way."

Hermione glanced at Draco, who nodded, giving her permission to tell the tale. She explained about Draco's disappearance, her panic, her parents' reaction, and Draco's account of his meeting with Lord Voldemort. "So we had to come home, we're on red-alert now, and we need to let Harry know." Blaise nodded, leant forward in his seat, face creased with concern.

"This is serious. I don't really understand why Voldemort would just take you, Dra, tell you, admittedly stuff we could have guessed but still, and then just let you go back, without even making you swear to secrecy or subtlety or anything."

Draco sighed. "I know. I don't get it either. He must know I'm in contact with Potter. He knew I was with Hermione, and you don't get one without the other two." Hermione shot him a warning look. "Or at least that's what he believes." Draco recovered. "So surely he must realize all I'll do is discuss it with Potter."

Hermione ran a hand distractedly through her bushy hair. "I hate to say it, but I think he's leading us into a rather unavoidable trap." She looked to both of them. "Like it or not, I think somebody's going to have to get hurt, and I don't think there's anything we can do to stop it."

"We'd better go see Potter."

* * *

_This was a rather rushed chapter. I wanted to fit one maybe two more in before my hectic week next week. If I get plenty of reviews I may write another chapter and post it tomorrow. _

_Hopefully this'll raise a few questions. I have to tell you now, nothing's been decided, but I can't promise a happy ending. I know I can be a bit mean to Hermione, but I saw HP5 earlier and realized JK Rowling is pretty mean to Harry as well. I mean, the poor kid has no parents, his godfather's died, as does his greatest protector, Dumbledore, then we know 2 more key characters die in the 7__th__ book! If anything I think I'm very nice to them! It was a great film btw! _

_Rather long a/n there, I do apologize. _

_Please review then_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	25. Perfect?

* * *

Grimmauld Place seemed brighter than it had ever done before. There was a buzz of voices running through the corridors, and it met Hermione and Draco as they pushed open the kitchen door.

An eruption of happy and excited voices greeted them. Inside the kitchen sat not only the normal occupants, Ginny and Harry, but also the rest of the Weasley family, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. They were immediately engulfed in warm hugs and cheerful babble. Hermione looked around, searching for someone to explain why this normally so serious group was now acting as though Christmas had come early.

"They look as though they haven't heard the news." Molly Weasley called above the chatter. "Go ahead, Harry," She reached out and picked him out from the crowd swarming around the room and held him there.

Harry had the widest smile across his face Hermione had ever seen. He floated over to them dreamily. "You been drinking again, mate?" Draco whispered, smirk in place.

Harry just laughed. "Me and Ginny just got engaged."

Hermione shrieked and flung her arms around Harry, eyes swimming with tears of joy. "I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!"

"Yeah." Draco said, though there was no happiness on his face. "Congratulations."

It took Draco a long time to extract Hermione from the celebrations. "What are you doing?" He asked her sternly, firmly holding her arm. She wrenched it out of his grip. "You do remember why we came here?" He asked her. "We came to tell Potter his life is in total danger, not to congratulate him on his engagement."

Hermione gave him a deadly look. "Yes, Draco. I remember perfectly well, thank you. We can't tell him now. How awful would that be for him? To get engaged and then be told you've little choice but to give yourself up to the man whose been hunting you nearly your entire life."

"We have to tell him Hermione."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "And we will. Tomorrow, when all this" she gestured around the room. "Will have died down a little." She walked back towards the small crowd of people calling "So have you got plans for a date yet?"

Ginny glanced sideways at Harry who shrugged. "Well." Ginny said. "I'm thinking maybe a long engagement. We are only nineteen after all." Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I got married at nineteen." Hermione looked around to see Ron stood right beside her, face a brilliant shade of magenta from the amount of mulled mead he had already consumed.

Ginny sighed. "Yes, you did, but you can hardly call that a happy marriage now can you?"

"What you talking about?" Ron asked, his eyes rolling slightly as he tried to focus on his younger sister. "Me and Vicky are just fine." Ron reached into the crowd of excited people and seemed to pull Vicky out of nowhere. The woman Hermione was faced with was nothing but a shadow of the woman she had met on Ron's wedding day, or that fateful day that had changed the course of her life. Vicky's hair hang limply past her shoulders, her face was waxy and gaunt, and the forced smile she was wearing looked almost painful.

Ron held Vicky at his side, his arm draped heavily around her bony shoulders. Hermione saw her wince at his touch. "See! We're fine, aren't we, Vicks?"

Hermione frowned at the scene. Was this really the same confident, even bitchy girl, she'd discovered riding her boyfriend? She couldn't believe it.

Vicky looked around at the group, hardly daring to make eye contact with any of them, instantly averting her gaze away from Hermione's look of concern, and staring back down at her feet.

Hermione moved forward, not really knowing what she intended to do, but she could tell, just as she was certain everybody else could, that something needed doing. She settled on putting a comforting but subtle hand on Vicky's arm, which brought the woman's eyes up to finally meet hers, and asking. "How are you, Vicky?" She noticed Ron looking down on them, forehead creased in confusion. "Want to talk?" She could tell Ron was too intoxicated and a tad… slow to pick up on what Hermione was up to, and Hermione was pleased when Vicky nodded timidly, and followed her towards the edge of the room.

Vicky sank down and crouched on the floor. "Vicky, what has happened to you?" The mousy haired woman put her head in her hands.

She sighed. "What do you think? It's not working out, is it?"

"I'm guessing you're referring to your marriage?" Vicky nodded sadly. "Believe it or not, it's not going so well."

Hermione kneeled down beside her, looking over the small crowd of people at Draco who was stood directly opposite her, on the outskirts of the group, sipping sophisticatedly at his drink. "I know I'm not the best person to talk to about this…" She paused, inviting Vicky to disagree, but of course she didn't. "I do know that Ron is a good person, underneath it all. You know him. He doesn't exactly cope well with big changes or a bit of complication. It tends to knock him out of balance." She felt her heart lift a little as Vicky laughed, even if it was rather hollow.

"I never understood why he decided to stay with me, rather than race after you that time. Obviously, at the time, I was glad he stayed, but it always felt wrong. I knew you from Hogwarts of course. I was the year above you. In Ravenclaw, and you were just… well, you seemed perfect." Hermione scoffed at this.

"Perfect? Don't be ridiculous."

"I mean it. I was a year older and yet I still looked up to you. Full marks in every test, top of your class, and still managed to handle two male best friends who were determined to save the world every time it was in jeopardy."

Hermione looked at Vicky. She too was staring across the room, though Hermione could sense her eyes sought no one in particular, just a glimmer of hope through the cloud her life had become since she had married Ron Weasley. "I was organized. That's all. There was never any trick to it."

"Well then, maybe organized is all I need to become."

* * *

Hermione had been quiet ever since they had left Grimmauld place late that evening. She had blamed it on tiredness, but Draco could tell that was not it, and had even forgot his annoyance at her for not warning Potter, as he tried to wheedle out what was bothering her. "I promise you, it's nothing." Hermione told him once again. "I wish you'd leave it alone."

"What? Now I'm supposed to just let it rest when my girlfriend is upset."

Hermione turned her back on him, heading towards her room. "I'm not upset."

"You clearly are." Draco called after her.

She stormed back out of the room, face filled with anger. "It was supposed to be me. Alright? That's what's bothering me. I'm glad it's not… I think, but it was supposed to be me who married Ron Weasley, not Vicky… whatever her surname is, who hardly knows him."

Draco gaped at her, momentarily lost for words. He finally found his voice again. "So you're saying you'd rather it was him you were sleeping with instead of me." He hadn't meant to shout.

Hermione had tears in her eyes which filled his heart with guilt, but now the fiery strength of the girl who had helped beat down the most powerful dark wizard of all time seemed to have overpowered her. "Maybe some nights I do. When you're acting like you're above everybody around you, or that nobody else really matters, maybe then I wish I was with someone else."

Draco attempted a smirk. "You don't mean that."

She seemed to deflate, all the anger pulsing out of her with every heartbeat. She sank down onto the floor and leant heavily on her doorframe. "You're right. I don't mean it. Any of it. I just hate that he gave me up and now they're both unhappy, but here I am, and I'm so happy." She looked up at him, a watery smile on her lips. "I'm so happy with you."

He sat down next to her and wrapped her in his arms. "I'm happy too." He kissed her. "You don't really wish you were with someone else some nights do you."

"No." Hermione wiped her eyes, only then realizing she was crying. "I don't know why I said those things. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of them."

Draco looked down at her his lips curled. "None of them?" He asked, teasingly.

Hermione sat up, eyebrows raised. "Well you could have a little more respect for other people sometimes." She told him, in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "And you could stop acting like every wizard or witch we meet thinks you're some sort of god."

"But they do!" Draco said, acting shocked. "How dare you suggest they don't?" She laughed and they sat there, neither really with any desire to move, despite the position they were in being quite uncomfortable.

Eventually Draco sighed, and pulled his arm out from around Hermione. She stood up, grumbling a little.

He rose beside her, and held her to him, kissing her lovingly. "Don't suppose there's any chance you'd want to sleep with me tonight?" He ran his fingers through her hair as she pretended to consider.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

* * *

_Again, this is a short chapter. It was a bit of a middlish one for chapters coming. Sorry I was so long in writing this one, but I had the film to see and the book to read, plus I was away from home and so my laptop for a week. I have nothing planned from now on so I should write some more._

_Btw, seventh book. Best one I reckon. It did make me cry a lot though._

_Please review_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	26. A Simple Plan

Hermione was the first to wake. She slowly prized her eyes open, to be hit with the overwhelming brightness of the spring morning. She sat up, clinging onto the bedsheet to keep her naked body covered. Draco lay beside her, and she smiled down at him, blonde hair splayed out across the white pillow. She leant over him, and kissed his delicate lips, being careful not to wake him.

The sheet was left abandoned as Hermione tip toed across the bedroom and out into the living room. Giving a silent prayer that Blaise was not to be found there, she headed into the bathroom.

As Hermione turned the various dials on the shower, causing a warm jet of water to caress her body, thoughts of Harry and Ginny plagued her mind. She knew Harry to be careful and knew he would be able to see a way out of this. But she knew also knew that she was the thinker of their trio. She was the brains, Ron had become the brawn and Harry had been the hero. However she could not see a way out.

Whatever way she looked at it, either Harry was going to have to face Voldemort, or Draco's mother would be killed. Though Hermione wasn't sure just how much Draco cared for his mother, she could sense he would not be happy with giving her up if there was a way around it.

Suddenly she realized she had not moved since stepping into the shower, so lost in thought she had been. She lathered shampoo into her long, wet curls, and ran soap over her body. She only did it to be sociable, as she never felt dirty after sleeping with Draco.

There was a knock on the door, and a voice called out, "Hermione? Can I come in?" She called back, and Draco stepped into the room. She grinned at him through the glass of the shower stall, for some reason calmer knowing the details of her body were blurred by the frosted glass. She continued to rinse off the soap and conditioner in her hair, as he sat and didn't hide his staring.

"Listen." He said eventually, after she gave him a rather contemptuous glare. "I was thinking. We need to tell Potter right away about this mess." Hermione nodded distractedly, hinting he was simply stating the obvious. "Hermione." Draco said, the tone of his voice finally managing to capture her full attention. "I don't want my mother to die."

Hermione stepped out of the stall, wrapping a towel around her, and picking up her wand and fixing the towel in place. She bent down to Draco and kissed him. "I know you don't." She left the bathroom, and he followed.

Draco watched as she dressed. She took her time, enjoying the attention. "Draco, we'll find a way out of this." She told him. Doubt was filling her, nipping at her for her dishonesty, but she couldn't let him see she was at a loss as to how to solve this situation.

After Draco had also showered and dressed, they stood side by side in the kitchen, silently eating breakfast. Both knowing today they were about to destroy a man's happiness with the most awful of news.

Harry was used to Voldemort being after him, both Draco and Hermione knew this, but not for a long time had he been forced to give himself up to save another.

Hermione could barely taste the cereal she ate it.

* * *

The buzz of the previous night was still just about evident when they entered number 12, Grimmauld Place. Though the house was now missing the vast number of visitors who had littered the rooms before, the aftermath of the party remained.

Firewhiskey and butterbeer bottles where lined up like soldiers along the kitchen surface. A couple of strong willed "Weasley's Wild-Fire Whiz-Bangs" still bounced sleepily from wall to wall. Hermione tutted a little at the scene but grinned despite herself.

"I don't think anybody's up yet." Draco whispered.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Well observed." She headed back towards the front door. "Maybe we should come back later." She was reaching for the doorknob but Draco held her back.

"We can't put this off any longer." She nodded, defeated.

Hermione ascended the stairs, after a brief conversation with Draco in which they had decided it would be more appropriate for her to be the one to wake the newly engaged couple.

She pushed open the door to the room she knew Harry and Ginny shared, squinting towards the bed through narrowed eyes in order to avoid anything she'd rather not see. However, all she saw was the couple sleeping peacefully, curled around one another. Admittedly, neither was clothed, but everything was covered. On each face she could see a hint of a smile, and she felt a warm glow of happiness for the pair of them.

She stood watching them for a moment, before the task she had been sent to carry out finally broke through, back into her brain.

Hermione crept over to the bed, and nudged Harry. He mumbled stupidly, face screwing up in annoyance, but Hermione continued to prod him until he finally opened his eyes. Harry looked up at her, confused.

"Morning." She whispered, giving a little wave.

"Hi." He replied, a little grumpily. "To what do I owe this very early visit?"

She did not answer, but instead motioned for him to follow her as she left the room.

Downstairs she found Draco sitting uncomfortably in one of the kitchen chairs. "It's just a chair." She told him, mouth twitching. "It won't eat you." Just as she said it, the chair directly opposite Draco gave a loud snapping noise before crashing in on itself.

Draco hastily stood up and Hermione laughed. He held his arms out to her, and she sank into them, grateful for his strength. She was stood, back to him, his arms around her waist, had intertwined with hers. He kissed the top of her head and leant to whisper in her ear. "It'll all be alright, you know." She bent her neck to look up at him, and he smiled. She did love it when he smiled. "I'll make sure of it."

They stood together, whispering to one another until Harry finally stumbled into the room. His dark hair was even more untidy than usual, and though he now wore trousers, his chest was still uncovered. He yawned and sighed when he set eyes on the pair. "So." He said, pointing his wand at the kettle, causing a large amount of steam to burst from it. "You going to tell me why you interrupted my peaceful slumber?" He poured them all coffee, and leant lazily against the kitchen surface. "Who sat on the chairs?" He asked, pointing at the pile of splintered wood on the floor.

"Me." Draco said, his voice humorless.

Hermione broke away from Draco, feeling it would be more tactful to deliver their fateful message whilst not lounging in one another's arms.

"Harry…" She began, not really knowing where to start.

"Voldemort's after you." Draco said, bluntly. Harry just took a sip of his coffee, raising one eyebrow at Draco.

"Well spotted."

Hermione stepped forward, not wanting an argument to break out between the two men. The friendship she knew Draco and Harry had was still new, fragile, and so early in the morning, really quite explosive.

"What Draco is trying to say," She said. "Is that Voldemort has ordered Draco to deliver you to him."

Harry set his mug down on the surface beside him, inviting her to elaborate. "When we were at my parents' house yesterday, Draco was… summoned by Voldemort. We don't know how this was done, but he was gone for hours…" She trailed off.

"Whilst I was in the Dark Lord's pleasant company, besides torturing me, he ordered me to deliver you to him." Draco continued Hermione's account.

Harry laughed a little nervously. "You're not going to do it though. I mean, what's Voldemort got on you?"

"He has my mother." Harry's pitiful laughter was stopped short.

"Oh, that's bad." He said.

"Yes." Hermione replied, unable to meet Harry's gaze. "We have no idea what to do." She glanced up at him apologetically.

Harry seemed to be thinking hard, his tired mind sharply awoken by this dilemma. Draco was looking around the room interestedly, feigning unawareness of the intensity of the situation. Hermione too was wracking her brain in an attempt to conjure up a solution.

"So… what you're saying is, you hand me over, I die. You don't hand me over, Draco's mother dies, and if you turn up without me…"

"Draco dies." Draco finished, distastefully.

"And there's no chance of negotiations?" Harry asked, hopelessly, already knowing the answer.

"No."

There was a pop from out side the room, and all three of them swung around to see Blaise coming into the room.

"What's up, homies?" He asked raising a hand in greeting as he stepped past them.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, the tension in the room was suddenly broken. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Blaise shrugged, pouring himself some coffee. "No idea, heard some muggle kid say it on my way over here." He went to sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. He was squatted down just above it when he stopped and looked to Harry. "They hungry today?" Harry nodded. Blaise stood up again and stepped back. "So what's the topic of discussion today then?" He looked around at the grim faces around him and it jolted back into his memory. "Right, right, right. Lord Voldemort and the Hunt for Harry, yes?"

The three around him all nodded. Blaise felt his cheerfulness was highly inappropriate around these three, but couldn't help himself. "Um, this may sound stupid, but couldn't Dra just give up some guy who looked like Potter?" When he failed to get any reaction, Blaise continued heartily. "I mean, just feed some auror, Moody probably, he's the best, some polyjuice potion, then send him in to finish off old Voldy?" Still none of them refuse to look up. "Oh, come on. It may be simple but it's a better idea than any of you've got, isn't it!"

Hermione finally turned to him. "Blaise, we have one shot at this…"

"I know, I know, but…"

"If it went wrong, if the auror was found out, then everybody would die, Narcissa, Harry… Draco and me…"

"And me too probably, so at least we'd all die together."

Draco seemed to suddenly snap. "Blaise for god's sake!" he rounded on his friend, squaring his shoulders threateningly. This only made Blaise stand up straighter and follow suit. He was not much taller than Draco, but his muscular and hulking frame made it appear he was towering over Draco. This only drew a smirk across Draco's face. This was such a familiar situation it was almost old. "I don't think you realize the complexity of the situation." He told Blaise sourly.

"I think I understand the situation a lot better than you're giving me credit for." Blaise said in a low, threatening voice Hermione had never heard him use before. It was scary.

Draco continued to smirk, unmoved by Blaise's response. "Well, maybe we could give your idea a go. You volunteering?"

"Draco!" Hermione snapped. "Don't be ridiculous. "If Blaise's plan were to be taken into effect, we could only use the best."

Draco looked at her, brow furrowed. "What are you saying?" He asked. "You think it could work?"

"I'm saying we should consider it as a possibility, perhaps even a starting point." She sighed. "On it's own, it's not the best plan at all, but if we added to it. Put in some extra offensive power, then it could work. Maybe, just maybe..." She trailed off, losing herself in thought.

Finally, Draco backed away from Blaise, though he did not take his eyes off him. Blaise was still smoldering, the unfamiliar danger about him seemed to be affecting everyone in the room. But then he relaxed, and grinned at Draco. "So, I'm genius of the day then?"

"You really are something, Zabini, you know that?"

Harry spoke at last. "Would you guys mind if we didn't tell Ginny about this? Only we just got engaged and…"

"Don't worry. We won't." Draco promised, smiling weakly at Potter.

"Though she may want to be a part of it." Said Blaise. "Brave girl that Ginny."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, she is."

"Congratulations, mate." Blaise slapped Harry jovially on the back. "You picked a good'un."

Draco wondered over to where Hermione was stood. He wrapped his arms around her and she looked up. He kissed her, and she wound her arms around his neck drawing him in closer. Whilst Harry and Blaise talked, they stood lips locked together. Draco drew away, keeping his face so close to Hermione's there nose's were touching. "Do you think could do that one day?"

"Do what?" She asked, confused.

"You know…" He said, cheeks burning a polite shade of pink. "Get engaged."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Draco Malfoy, did you just propose to me?" She was completely stunned. A mass of thoughts a feelings suddenly coursed through her until she noticed Draco's looked of shock.

"No! I mean, not no, but not yet, you know, just, I was just saying it's maybe a possibility, you know?" Hermione smiled at him, and brushed her lips against his softly.

"Good, because we have a world to save first."

* * *

_Well, the end is nigh. I'll aim for thirty chapters though I quite like this one._

_Please review_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	27. An Interruption

Draco ran his hands up and down the length of Hermione naked body, feeling the curve of her waist, the slenderness of her legs, the smoothness of her skin. He followed the trail with kisses, stopping at the inside of her thighs, being sure to take care here. She moaned happily as he kissed her wetness, sliding his tongue in and sucking.

She pulled roughly on his blonde hair, pulling him up to meet her lips, and she tasted herself there. She pushed her tongue through those lips, and bucked her hips, inviting him inside. He pushed into her, causing her to moan with pleasure. He grunted and he thrust into her, shooting feelings of pure happiness coursing through him as she screamed his name.

"Keep it down in there!" Blaise voice rang through the house, causing them to freeze, the pleasure gone. Draco roared in frustration and pulled himself out of Hermione. He pulled out one of the sheets from under her and hastily wrapped it around himself before storming through the door.

"What the bloody hell do you want?!" He shouted.

Blaise grinned mischievously. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"Zabini, I swear to god I'll…"

"Now, now, no need to swear anything." Blaise said, waggling his finger patronizingly in Draco's furious face. "Hey, Hermione!" He called through, waving at the girl, who frantically pulled at the other bed sheet in order to give herself some dignity.

"How dare you." Draco rumbled.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry. I just came to tell you that Moody and the rest of the aurors have agreed to help out."

Hermione was suddenly at Draco's side, dressed exactly the same. "That's great news." She said, breathlessly, slipping her hand into Draco's. "That means we can actually start to plan this out properly. "

Blaise ran a hand through his ruffled dark brown hair and Draco knew there was a downside. "What?" He asked suspiciously. "What else, Blaise?"

"Uh…"

"Blaise!"

"Ok, you have to understand this was not my fault." Hermione and Draco didn't respond, both just glared at him, eyes boring in so far he knew this wasn't going to be let go. "Well… It's just… while I was at headquarters, going over stuff with Potter, Weasley walked in, you know… Ron, and he wants in on it."

Hermione spluttered over her coffee. "What?"

"Ron, uh… he wants to have a part in the plan." Blaise was starting to look considerably uncomfortable.

Hermione seemed to be lost for words, and she turned frustratedly to Draco to continue her argument for her.

"Um…" Draco didn't seem to know what to say. "Why?"

Blaise shrugged. "Some moral reason I guess. To be honest I'd guess at maybe guilt over what he did to Hermione, and also just 'cos he and Potter are still mates."

"Right well…"

"He can't be a part of it!" Hermione shrieked. Both men turned to stare at her, alarmed. "It's nothing to do with him." She flounced out of the room. Draco ran after her.

"Hermione, I think you're overreacting. I mean he might be useful."

"How? And anyway, he… he… well this has nothing to do with him." She slammed herself down onto one of the dining room chairs.

Draco sank down into one beside her and took her hand. "What he did was disgusting and wrong and just very unfair on you, but Harry is his friend as well, and he was yours too. If he wants to risk his life to fight the Dark Lord then who are we to stop him?" Hermione moaned a little, knowing he was right. "It's a fighting front, not a band of brothers. You don't have to even speak to him."

Hermione lifted her head off her arms. "I just don't understand why he feels he needs to be out risking his life unnecessarily when he's a wife at home he needs to be making things up to."

"Yeah, well." Said Draco, shifting awkwardly. "That's none of our business really. Let him deal with it in his own way."

"Fine then."

Hermione was stunned by the sheer number of people who had volunteered to take part in the attack. There were not only aurors, but the entire Weasley family (minus Percy), Neville Longbottom and other members of the DA who had now left Hogwarts, three ministry officials, and a couple of Hogwarts teachers.

Alisor "Mad-Eye" Moody was stood at the front of the crowd, waiting to address them. "This is how this is going to work." He spoke loud and clear, making sure everybody in the room was hanging onto his every word. "I'm going in as Potter. Malfoy and Granger will be going in with me." He nodded to Hermione and Draco who felt for each other's hands and gripped them tightly. "We'll be staging this up by the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade, and we'll only have second to prepare before Voldemort arrives. I want Potter up in one of the rooms, Miss Weasley, you make sure he stays there. Three of you are going to patrol up the street outside, making sure the charms stay in place and no one tries to get in. Stun anybody trying to approach before the signal is given."

The three Ministry of Magic officials stepped forward, Hermione recognized one of them to be Dawlish, and her confidence sank a little.

Moody growled on. "I want Minerva, Filius, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley and Weasley to be positioned in Hogsmeade, waiting till Voldemort finds he's been tricked." He pointed to Professors McGonogall and Flitwick, followed by each of the Weasley boys.

"Nymphadora, Elius, Thinion and Kingsley, you are to be at the scene, don't care how you do it. Polyjuice potion's out of the question now, but some sort of disguise? It won't be lon before he realizes he's been fooled anyway, and he'll be paying attention to me rather than his deatheaters."

Neville raised his hand shakily. "What should we do?" He asked.

Moody gave him a thoughtful look through his normal eye, whilst the magical one continued to rove around the room, inspecting all it's occupants.

"Son, you are to be in charge of the house. You and your friends stay in the house, between the enchantments and, should anything break through, stop them." There was a murmur from the others.

"Alistor…" Molly Weasley spoke up. "You can't really be thinking of… They're only children."

"They're willing to fight, just as we are." Moody said, denying any possibility of further argument. "Molly, I want you Arthur and Zabini to find Narcissa Malfoy and keep her at The Burrow until we give the all clear." He looked around the crowd of people. On each face was a look of terror, fighting desperately against pure determination. "Right, hair then please, Potter."

Harry pulled out a single black hair, muttering darkly, plainly irritated at having the least active role. Hermione sympathized, but couldn't help but feel it was for the best. Harry had been known to be reckless.

Moody dropped the hair into a glass filled with the thick brown sludge, and it turned brightest gold. He swigged from the potion and his features slowly began to bubble as he turned into Harry Potter.

"Glasses." He held out his hand to Harry, who pulled the glasses off his nose and handed them to Moody. Ginny held his arm comfortingly.

"Get into position everybody." The room emptied as people either apparated away, who left the room, placing charms on the doors and portraits.

Neville waved sadly to Hermione as he left, he'd turned his back before she had time to wave back.

As Moody expected himself carefully in a silver plate, Hermione looked to Draco. "I can't believe this is it. It's all happening so soon." He nodded in agreement and Hermione suddenly realized he was shaking.

"This could be the end." He muttered in wonderment. "The end of the dar… of Voldemort."

She squeezed his hand. "It'll be fine." She told him, and she brought his hand up to her lips. "And when it's finished we're free to do what we want again." She smiled.

He bent down and caught her in a kiss. Hermione wanted to capture this moment forever. The battle that lay ahead of them, it could be dangerous, and for all she knew this kiss could be their last.

"I love you." He whispered, tenderly stroking her cheek, and she felt tears welling up.

"I love you too."

"Alright, kids. Let's go."

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_Aww baby chapter! Action coming! Gonna need some more reviews to spur me on! Been pretty rubbish recently, but obviously I still love the ones I've got! New readers! Love you too! _

_Please review (go on push-the-button GALVANIZE! Good old Chemical Brothers!)_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	28. The Leak

The Shrieking Shack loomed behind them, making the shadow they stood in feel even colder than it did already. The steady April breeze seemed to miss this spot. 

The Moody/Harry was pacing in front of them. "It shouldn't be taking this long." He grumbled. "I'd have expected him to be waiting for us, not the other way around." He kept nervously looking down at his wristwatch. Hermione too was very aware of how little of their hour they had left before Moody turned back into himself.

"Professor…" Hermione said tentatively. "You don't think this could be a trap do you? Voldemort couldn't have known what was happening, could he?"

"He could if you don't keep quiet, girl!" Moody snapped. Hermione sank back into place beside Draco, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"It'll be fine."

Tension grew as time went by. Hermione and Draco were lounging on the grass, Draco's head resting in Hermione's lap. Moody kept looking over to them and muttered darkly to himself.

A voice rang out and they all turned to see Molly Weasley jogging up the side of the hill. She bent over to catch her breath and was rounded on by Moody. "What is it?" He asked harshly. "Why are you here?"

"Attack… on… on the house… Voldemort knew… must be a leak." Before Hermione could even take in what had been said, Moody had vanished. Molly quickly followed.

Draco took her hand. "This is it, ok? You ready." She nodded, unable to speak. She gripped both her wand and his hand tightly, and together, they apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Draco lost Hermione's hand as soon as they pushed through the front door. It took him a second to convince himself she could look after herself before he entered the fray. 

The old house seemed to be crumbling around him. The tiny corridor before him shook with the strain of so much magic in the house. Draco was startled to see dust trickling from the ceiling.

The decapitated heads of generations of house elves seemed to shriek down at him, warning of the chaos that lay ahead.

The many enchantments placed on each door and each hallway seemed to have been broken. Deatheaters were swarming the house. As Draco looked up to see the landings of the floors above, he saw flashes of light emanating from duels between good and evil.

Before he knew what was happening he was thrown back against the hard wood wall. Stars flickered before his eyes as he tried to focus on his attacker. The dark hood masked the face, but Draco recognized the stink, Augustus Rookwood lay beneath that hood.

"Ah!" Rookwood cried. "I never thought I would be the one to have Lucius' revenge." He bent his neck. "A pleasure Draco Malfoy, as always."

"Stupefy!" Draco flicked his wand casually at the bent necked man and he immediately froze. "Stupid bastard." Draco snarled, and performed the body bind curse upon him, just to seal the deal.

He pushed through the cramped house, past dueling pairs. He unconsciously stopped to watch, impressed, as Longbottom through hex after hex at another black adorned deatheater. "Alright Longbottom?" Neville inclined his head after he'd finally stopped his opponent, clearly weary of him. "Is everybody back here then?" Draco asked.

Neville rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. "All but one." He told him. He glanced over Draco's head and slammed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him down. "Watch out!" He cried as he threw a stunning spell over his head. Draco could hear that he had missed and dodged out of Neville's way.

"Who's missing?" He asked frantically, but Neville was too caught up in the fight to reply.

Draco ran forwards until he felt a sudden whoosh of a spell, millimeters over the top of his head. He swung around to see Bellatrix Lestrange leering at him. He remembered Bellatrix only from times in his childhood when she had visited their home to see his parents. He had always been in awe of her. A very grand woman who was always dressed in elegant robes of fine material, with her hair perfectly groomed. How Azkaban could change a person.

"Hello, boy." She waggled her fingers at him, in a patronizing manner that made Draco's lip curl in annoyance. "How's mummy?"

Draco drew his wand, but was hit once more before he could even think what to say. The cruciatus curse twisted and pulled every nerve and muscle, every cell in his body. Though the pain was now familiar, Draco could not help but cry out.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry." Bellatrix clapped a hand over her mouth to try to hide her rather evident giggles. "Here, let me help you up." Draco felt a tug and was hoisted up in the air, hanging upside down, suspended by his left ankle.

There was a shout from behind Bellatrix, and Draco looked down to see the bitch sprawled across the floor, eyes half closed. Unfortunately, the next thing to happen was his crashing to the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hermione rushed forward, and pulling his up once more by the arm. She pecked him on the cheek, hastily smoothing out his clothes, brushing off spliters from the rotting floor, and checking him for injuries.

"Where've you been?" Draco asked, trying to swat her off.

"I'm sorry. We got here, and I apparated to Harry's room, to check he and Ginny were ok, but they weren't there. By the time I'd got back down to the front door, you'd gone."

"They weren't there?" Draco asked. Hermione shook her head sadly. "Well, look at it this way: if V…Voldemort had Harry, then this battle wouldn't still be going on, would it?"

"I guess not."

Draco grabbed her by the shoulders, a question springing suddenly to mind. "Do you know who's missing?"

"What?"

"Back there I was talking to Longbottom. He said everybody who was sent out is back here except one person. That person must be the leak, do you know who it is?"

Hermione shook her head, face flushed with worry. She shook back her dark mahogany hair, and tied it with a band. Draco watched her, loving the way her hair caught the light, hating himself for noticing it now. "Is anybody… dead?" He asked cautiously, not knowing if it was the right thing to ask her.

There was a crash from above the, but neither even seemed to notice. "Dawlish is." Hermione sighed heavily. Draco felt sick that he was trying not to laugh. Hermione noticed. "I know. He wasn't the best they could have brought."

"That's a man's life you're talking about there." She shot him a cold look.

"We need to find Harry and Ginny." She brushed past him and he caught her hand in his, needing her strength as well as his own.

The final flight of stairs stood in front of them. They didn't stop as they rushed past McGonogall, nor when they nearly knocked over a disheveled looking Tonks.

It could be nothing. There was no guarantee the final floor would hold anything, but there was an air of finality about their battle as they reached the top step.

Unlike the rest of the house, the top floor was deathly quiet. Whilst the portraits downstairs screeched and shouted, the faces up here were sleeping or peaceful. The heavy green curtains that shielded the room from sunlight fluttered in a non-existent breeze.

Across from them, a dark shape was sprawled on the floor. Cautiously Hermione approached. Draco watched as she edged nearer. It was only when she was a foot from it that she seemed to realize who it was.

She fell onto her knees beside the body, crying out, tears flooding her delicate face. Draco sat down beside her. And held her to him, comforting her as best he could.

"His was a noble death. He fought, and chose not to run away." He looked down with some trepidation at Ron Weasley's body.

Hermione hiccoughed. Frantically wiping the salty tears from her cheeks. "But he wasn't supposed to die! He was supposed to live and settle things with his wife. This is so wrong."

Draco rocked her gently, until she lulled back into an almost calm. "It was his choice. There was nothing you could have done."

"But… but if I knew he was happy in his marriage, maybe I could have forgiven him for leaving me for it." Hermione whispered. "Now I never can. He'd rather risk and lose his own life rather than be with her, which makes me nothing to him."

"Hermione, you could never be nothing to anybody." Draco told her firmly. "It was his choice but it was a bad one. Don't think for a minute I disagree with you. And I thank him for leaving you."

She looked up at him, shock and hurt dancing in her damp eyes. "If he hadn't left you, I wouldn't have you now." He explained. He rested his lips in her hair, and she continued to sob quietly.

It was a few minutes before Draco felt he should lift Hermione to her feet. She stood shakily, and her held her as she attempted to steady herself. "I know this is hard for you." He said. "But we have to find your friends, and I have to know who betrayed us." She nodded, unable to speak, holding her hand to her mouth to stop herself crying anymore.

They left the room holding Ron's body. Before them lay a corridor with many doors leading off it. "Do you know any of these rooms?" Draco asked Hermione gently.

She shook her head. "We never came up here, all the rooms we were ever allowed in were on the first two floors."

"We'll just have to guess then."

Draco pressed his ear hard to the first door and shook his head. The one opposite to it held nothing either.

"Draco, they may have imperturbable jinxes on them…" He retraced his steps, instead opening each door. The first one looked like a bedroom. There was a metal bedstead in one corner at any rate, but no other signs anybody had ever occupied it. The only other objects in the room were pots and pans that were scattered haphazardly across the floor.

The second room held nothing at all. Hermione saw it was exactly the same as the room directly below it, the room in which she had fallen into the hands of Lucius Malfoy. A different time, a different room, a different Malfoy.

Hermione pushed through into the third room, and let out a cry of surprise. Draco pushed roughly past her and rushed to his mother. She looked dazed and confused, and when she saw her son, she screamed, but was immediately silenced as Draco slammed and hand over her mouth. "We have to get her out of here."

"How?" Hermione asked, looking around her as if the answer would fly out at her.

"Apparate back to the house with her?"

"Me? She hates me!"

"Fine." Draco said, holding his mother up. "I'll go."

"Come straight back." Hermione called after him.

She stood statue still, waiting for him to come back. The seconds ticked by as minutes, hours, and Hermione hated herself for thinking it, but a small part of her brain thought he wouldn't come back.

Thankfully he did. Slightly out of breath, he leant over, clutching a stitch. "I'd forgotten how mad she can get." He looked upset. "There's something wrong with her. I locked her in our room and left her wand outside. She's not going anywhere."

"I'm thrilled." Hermione murmured. She wrung the handle of the fifth door but it did not budge. Draco moved her out of the way and slammed his shoulder against it, causing it to crash through, making a horrendous noise.

The room was empty.

"Well that was worth it." Draco grumbled, rubbing at his shoulder.

"One door left." Hermione stood nervously staring at it. The crumbling wooden walls seemed to narrow as they approached that door. She reached for the handle, but stopped. Taking a deep breath, she took it, and turned.

She had to dodge as a bolt of red light flew towards her. She screamed. Draco was behind her! Had he missed it too? She felt hands clutching at her waist and knew it was he.

"Sorry." Harry Potter stood opposite then, Ginny clutching at his hand. "Thought you were someone else."

"Thought… thought we were someone else?" Draco stormed into the room. "You could have killed us!"

"It's the jellylegs jynx, doubt it would have done much lasting damage." Harry twirled his wand between his fingers, enjoying the look of fury on Draco's face.

Hermione rushed towards them. "Ron's dead Harry." She saw Ginny twitch alarmingly, and, though she couldn't believe she'd forgotten, suddenly remembered she was Ron's sister.

Harry's face fell. "We know. We saw him when we came up here." Ginny's knees gave out from beneath her and she fell to the floor. Harry kneeled down beside her. He whispered soothingly to her, exactly as Draco had done to Hermione only minutes before. He looked back up at them.

"Have you worked out who the leak is yet? Ginny and I have been sat here trying to tot up who's here and so who's missing."

They looked at one another. "Well." Hermione began. "I saw Kingsley, we both saw Tonks and McGonogall, I saw Luna and the twins, Molly and Arthur and Dawlish is dead, so's… so's Ron…"

"I've seen Neville, the Seamus kid, those other two aurors, the other two ministry louts…"

"Yes, I saw them too!" Hermione added

"Saw those two big Weasley blokes, and Flitwick…"

"Who's left?" Harry asked, but Draco and Hermione's faces had fallen.

"Did you see Blaise?" Draco asked her. She shook her head. "Did either of you?" He turned to Harry and Ginny. They too shook their heads.

Harry sighed sadly. "I think we found our leak."

* * *

_Come on! He was far too awesome to be for real! Ahh only two more chapters! It's actually very sad… The last two chapters may take me a while, they do need to be just right after all. Thanx for all your beautiful comments. Over 150, how cool. Need to aim for more with the new fic so all u little non reviewers, when that one gets published, review that one, I have high expectations now. Obviously u could start reviewing for this one too… _

_Please review_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_

_p.s. Had mixed reviews about Blaise being evil so far. All I can say is trust me! _


	29. Blaise

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Ok, so I lied. Blaise was and still is awesome. Glad you all love him. As this book disregards HBP and DH, there are no hallows or horcruxes complicating things. Yes, Tonks is fighting as a ghost, I did think it but forgot to type it in, apologies.

* * *

_

"Blaise?" Draco looked around at each of them, completely bewildered. "There must be a mistake. Maybe we just missed him."

Hermione put her hand on Draco's arm. "Draco, there's no one else. You know it's him."

"Then he was tricked."

"Then where is he now?" Harry asked bitterly.

Draco opened a closed his mouth a few times. "Blaise is not a bad guy. Tell them Hermione." Hermione shrugged.

"He was in Slytherin." Harry pointed out.

"So was I!"

"Who do you think I first suspected of being the traitor?" Harry muttered. Hermione grabbed at both of Draco's arms, holding him back as he made to start at Harry.

The room fell silent.

The door flew open and Hermione realized it was a natural reaction to she swing around and point her wand threateningly at the figure stood in the doorway.

"Blaise?" Draco asked again, surprised this time as he stared at his friend. "Why are you here?"

Blaise was panting, and was leaning heavily against the doorframe. He shut his eyes in pain and Draco ran over to him, hoisting him over his arm and walking him into the room.

"It's… ok. The leak's gone." He breathed. "I've been away… these past few days… just escaped."

Harry was the only one whose wand was still pointed directly at Blaise's heart. "What are you talking about? You just escaped? We've seen you, talked to you these past few days."

Blaise glared at him. "You've been speaking for the past few days to Peter Pettigrew." Harry's mouth fell open, fury enlightening his emerald eyes. "I'm not lying to you, Harry." Blaise implored, desperately.

"Can you prove it?" Harry asked suspiciously, lowering his wand.

Blaise shook his head sadly. "Wish I could, mate."

Hermione had a thought. "Blaise, when did you last see me and Draco?"

A smirk spread across Blaise's face. "'Bout a week ago when I walked in on the two of you having sex." Harry and Ginny cringed in embarrassment.

"It's him." Hermione confirmed. "I knew there was something wrong when you didn't mention it to us again."

Draco laughed in relief. "Knew you wouldn't have turned against us, mate." He slapped his friend on the back.

"You kidding me? Dumbledore would have eaten my balls for breakfast."

"Where did he keep you?" Harry was clearly still not convinced. Blaise narrowed his eyes, offended at Harry's disbelief of his innocence.

"In my own flat." He scoffed. "Bit of a shitty plan really, must have been a low budget operation. He just body bound me, bit of muggle rope just to top it off, gag and all that, and left me there. Sent one of his cronies in to feed me sandwiches every now and then."

"Ok, you want proper convincing, Potter? Blaise, mate, what forms your patronus?" He sneered at Harry, hitting a nerve.

Blaise grinned, cheeks flushing. "A kitten." He hid his face in his arms as the others burst into fits of laughter.

"Yeah, that's him!" Draco wiped a tear from his eye.

Ginny did not laugh, instead she kept her eyes fixed on the door, and Hermione could almost see Ron's body lying beyond the door reflected in those eyes. "Why are we just sat here?" Ginny asked softly, her voice catching in her throat. We need to go back and fight, I don't want Ron to have died in vain." The laughter stopped and a pang of guilt hit them.

They all clambered up, preparing themselves for battle. "Sorry, did you just say Ron's dead?" Blaise asked, rather insensitively. Ginny nodded defiantly, determined to get back to fighting rather than sit and morn her brave brother. Draco elbowed Blaise. "I'm really sorry."

"You'll see him in a minute." Ginny rolled up her sleeves and Harry, Hermione and Draco followed suit.

"I'm sorry, but what are we doing?" Blaise looked confused.

"Something of a fight going on downstairs. You'll see when we get there, but keep your wand out." Draco warned him.

They filed out, one by one. They passed Ron's lifeless body and Blaise let out a gasp, though quickly stifled it. As they approached the stairway, they raised their wands. The noise of the duels downstairs was already reaching them.

"Sounds like they're putting up an amazing fight." Hermione breathed, descending the stairs slowly.

The first sight they had almost made Draco laugh. Bellatrix Lestrange, Augustus Rookwood, Crabbe sr. and Goyle sr, all bound, gagged and piled up opposite the stairway. "How many of them were here?" Hermione asked.

"About twelve maybe? There was definitely a lot more of us than there was of them." Draco replied, hoarsely.

"Then that's a third of them down already."

"Two are dead." Harry added.

"So half." Hermione almost smiled.

Blaise raised his hand. "Pettigrew's gone too. I took care of that." Harry turned to him, and held out his hand. Baffled, Blaise shook it.

"Thank you." Harry said sincerely. "You don't know what that means to me."

"That's… ok."

"Look out." Draco flung out his arm, pushing them all back as a hex flew straight past them and blasted a hole in the wooden wall beside them. The street outside looked painfully calm and quiet compared to the riot that was taking place inside.

Harry let out a breath. "That was close."

"Yeah, no shit."

The deatheater responsible, Antonin Dolohov, was edging towards them, wand raised, very aware that he was very much out numbered.

"Stunning spells on three?" Draco muttered quietly and they all nodded. "One, two, three."

Dolohov flew backwards into the banister with the force of the five spells. "Dead of alive?" Harry asked.

"Who cares, come on." Blaise pulled at Harry's robes, forcing him to move with the rest of them. They sprinted passed falling deatheaters, all of whom seemed to be suffering from their lack of numbers. Hermione stood and watched in amusement as Fred and George forced puking pastille after puking pastille down the throat of one particularly unfortunate deatheater.

"Where is he?" Harry fumed, as they ran down the stairs to the ground floor. Neville, Luna, and Seamus were all rounding on the deatheater called Mulciber. "Why isn't he here? I'm right here! Right here for the taking!"

A chill fell across them, and Hermione slipped her hand into Draco's not wanting to lose him again. "Behind you." They turned to see him stood there. Black robes falling gracelessly around his bloodless feet.

The face was the most startling. Slitted nostrils and horrifying red eyes burned into an otherwise characterless face. The face that can slide into any crowd, unnoticed. The face of unspeakable evils.

"Harry, what a pleasure it is to see you." Voldemort bowed to Harry, who remained fearlessly straight backed. "Well done, Draco, your father would have been proud."

"You're not taking him. Your leverage has gone. My mother is safe." He could see that this news was a surprise to Voldemort, whose eyes widened momentarily, before settling back.

He tittered softly. "No matter." He curled his long white fingers and a wand fell into them out of nowhere. "Harry is still here." He looked into the faces of the others stood around Harry. "Miss Weasley, so sorry to hear about your brother. A great loss." Ginny's face contorted and Harry held her wrist tightly. "Blaise Zabini… how did you kill my servant?" He asked, head tilted to one side in fascination.

Blaise let out a frantic attempt at a laugh. "Wasn't hard. You didn't send your best, did you? He left his wand right by me as he went to get me a glass of water. I just grabbed at it and killed him."

"You were too late anyway." Voldemort pointed out, twirling his wand between his unnaturally long fingers. "I already had all the information I needed."

"I know." Blaise said sadly. "And now you're going to kill us all just for the hell of it."

Voldemort let out a shriek of laughter. "You're a bright one, Blaise, just like your father was." He chuckled. "But first, I want you all to watch whilst I torture your muggle friend into madness." He pointed his wand at Hermione, who backed away, startled, eyes wide in fear. Draco jumped in between them and Voldemort tittered. "Really, Draco. Do you honestly think I'd hesitate to kill you? Now move aside."

Draco looked between Voldemort and Hermione. "Get out of the way, Draco." Hermione moaned.

"You heard her." Voldemort said. "Now move." He flicked his wand and Draco flew sideways out of the way. He drifted threateningly towards Hermione. Eyes fixed on hers. He raised his wand once more, slowly and deliberately. "Always getting in the way." He clicked his tongue at her. "The clever little muggle girl always helping Potter and his friends." He swept forward, pressing his wand to his throat. She gulped involuntarily, not daring to speak. "Maybe I should just kill you." He whispered, thin cold lips so close to her face she could feel the chill of his breath.

"You will not." Voldemort turned. His attention had been so focused on Hermione, he had failed to notice as Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy came up close behind him, wands pressed hard into his back.

"Expelliarmus." Ginny said calmly, and Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand and across the room, where Neville Longbottom promptly trod on it.

Voldemort gasped, fingers flying to his face. "You've lost." Harry told him. "I know it all. I know why, I know how, and I know who." He gave a hollow laugh. "You're pathetic. Acting like the world can't touch you as you hide behind your pitiful excuses for followers. Did you know most of them got taken down by teenagers?" Voldemort sunk to his knees. "You're nothing without them, are you? A bit of you rest in each of them and now they're all gone. Oh, we didn't kill them. We're much better than that, but they're not about to come to your rescue now are they?"

Harry twisted his wrist, forcing his wand sharply into Voldemort's spine. "That's enough, isn't it? I see it now, why you craved attention, why you demanded followers, it was because you needed people to hand out bits of your soul to, who you could trust to come to your aid whenever you needed them, to do your dirty work. Well that's all over now. We have you, Tom Riddle." Riddle gave a cry of mirth as Harry nodded at Draco, and together they raised their wands.

"Stop there, Harry." Professor Dumbledore seemed to have appeared nowhere. His long traveling cloak swished impressively as he stepped forward. "You don't have to stoop to his level. This isn't the way to avenge your parents." Dumbledore promised him gently.

"He killed them." Harry said through gritted teeth, wand still fixed in the curve of Voldemort's spine.

Voldemort laughed softly. "Come to save him from the debt of murder have you, Dumbledore?"

"Indeed I have." Dumbledore replied politely. "There's no need for Harry to have that weighing on his shoulders."

"There'd be no weight. I'd be avenging hundreds of people." Harry rumbled, though it was becoming clear to the others that this wasn't what Harry wanted.

"Are you going to kill me, Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked, eyes flashing dangerously. Dumbledore fixed him with a penetrating stare.

He took off his half moon spectacles and rubbed his nose distractedly, as if it had been bothering him for sometime. "Tom, you've always been a difficult person to hold down for long enough to kill. I don't doubt you will go down without a struggle, but yes, I will be the one to kill you."

Harry turned to glare at Dumbledore. "This is my battle, Professor."

"Yes, Harry, it is, but I must insist that I be the one to finish it. I feel responsible, you see. Responsible for not telling you everything when I had the chance, but now… now seems to be the perfect time."

Hermione shuffled from her spot by the wall to where Draco stood having removed his wand from the center of the fray. She slipped his hand in his, and felt how cold he was.

"It's over, Tom. Your wand is gone. Without that you have no protection against anybody. Your deatheaters can not help you, where is there to run?"

"You can't kill me, Dumbledore. You do not have it in you. It's not your style." Voldemort hissed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "And there I thought you knew me well, Tom." He raised his wand, and to Hermione's horror, Draco did the same thing. Dumbledore used his free hand to push Harry aside, and Harry did not fight back. He sunk back beside Ginny and she put her hand comfortingly on his arm.

Voldemort stood up straighter, and Hermione could see the proud surrender in the way he stood.

Dumbledore's raised his wand higher, and so did Draco and together they performed the killing curse and the last of Voldemort's soul flew from his body.

Draco lowered his wand and all of a sudden the wind was knocked out of him as Hermione ran into him and flung her arms tight around his neck.

"My hero." She breathed, and kissed his neck. Harry came over to them at this point, looking slightly shaken, but satisfied.

He extracted her from his body, holding her out in front of his. "I did do pretty well in the end really."

"Yeah, you did." Harry confirmed, slapping him on the back in a matey fashion. Hermione watched as Harry looked around for Ginny.

"She'll probably be upstairs." Hermione said. And Harry nodded in understanding and turned towards the staircase.

A stream of people brushed past him as they came down to the ground floor, confusion and caution in their steps.

"They just vanished." Tonks' semi transparent form told Hermione with some guilt. "I was keeping watch on the ones we had rounded up, I blinked and they were gone."

Hermione let go of Draco and headed over to the crowd of people congregated around the foot of the stairs.

"It's over." She told them, raising her voice so as to be heard above them all. "Voldemort's gone."

There was a breakout of excited and suspicious babble amongst the adults.

"What happened?" Molly Weasley called out above the others. Hermione felt a dreadful pang of sadness at the excited look on Mrs Weasley's face. She hadn't been told about her son yet.

Hermione couldn't speak. Instead she walked over and pulled each of the Weasleys from the crowd and gestured that they follow her up the stairs.

"Where's Ron?" Arthur asked, looking around him, four fingers held up having just counted his sons.

"I'm just taking you to him." Hermione croaked, her voice barely audible, but the sob from behind her told her that at least Molly had heard.

"And… and Ginny?" Arthur asked again, obvious trepidation in his determinedly brave tone.

"Ginny's fine, but yes, she's up there too." They climbed the last flight of stairs, and Hermione pushed open the door to the third floor. She did not follow them inside. She couldn't bear to share in their grief.

The descent back to the ground floor filled her head with mixed emotions. She past the auror, Dawlish's body, and nearly wept at the startled expression still left on his slowly paling face. Back on the ground floor she was drowned in happy chatter and cheers. She quickly sort out Draco and pulled him away.

"Your mother's back at our home. We should go to her." She said, her voice completely emotionless.

Draco's triumphant eyes suddenly filled with concern. "Yes, let's go right now. You look as though you need to lie down."

Narcissa Malfoy was sat down on the floor by the side of the bed Hermione and Draco shared. With no wand to play with, she had sunk so low as to twiddling her thumbs restlessly. Dark circles beneath her eyes showed the wear her life had been having on her. She muttered distractedly to herself. Inaudible phrases that bought her neither comfort nor joy.

She looked up as the door to her prison cell flew open, and blinked in the light coming through into the darkened room.

"You." She spat at the man entering the room.

"Yes, me. Hello, Mother." Draco sighed and he lifted her up to sit her on the bed. She embraced him tightly, startling him.

She breathed in his familiar smell and breathed in happily. "I missed you." Draco uncomfortably fitted his arms around her in return, and smiled sarcastically at Hermione who was stood against the doorframe.

"I need you to sit still for a moment." He told Narcissa, gently pulling her off him. She obediently sat and he instructed her to close her eyes. He waved his wand at her, muttering gently and soft silver waves pulsated from the tip of his wand and spread into her body.

He lifted the wand and she opened her eyes, looking rather dazed. "Draco?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm here." He told her. "It's all ok."

"Draco." She called his name as he stood up, about to leave her. "I'm so sorry." He turned back to her, questioning. "I'm sorry for what I did to your girlfriend."

* * *

_This is the slightly improved version of this chapter. I'm going to use this opportunity to reply to a few reviews. _

_red head… or something who tried to correct my correction or "arachnophobia" well, you spelt it wrong too. It's an o in the middle. I never actually knew arachnophobic was not a word, bit of a wake up call so thank you! Important thing to know, especially when you have it! _

_People who are asking me to write a new fic, I am doing so, do not worry. It'll be a while though so keep a look out! It'll be a Hogwarts set one, and will hopefully be a bit more structured than this one cos, obviously, I have a tendency to go off on a complete tangent when I don't have a plan. _

_Anna, thanks for your honesty over everything. I emailed you in reply to a review, did u get it?_

_Pstibbons, you actually reviewed pretty much every chapter which is kwl, so thank you._

_People who are reviewing telling me they just read the whole lot in one sitting… well thank you for the effort and reviews, much appreciated!_

_Meh, can't think of anyone else right now, but I love you all!_

_So yeah, hope this is a bit better! If I've messed up rewriting then let me know!_

_JustADoll_

_xxx_


	30. 4 Years Later

4 years later

"Hermione Jean Granger, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish in sickness and in health until death parts you?" The vicar asked, a merciless grin plastered across his red-cheeked merry face.

The muggle church was filled with both wizards and muggles alike. The Weasley family took up a pew to themselves, and squashed on the end was sat Vicky Weasley, on her lap a bouncing red headed toddler she had named Ronald, after his father. Vicky smiled up at Hermione, and ruffled her son's hair as Molly blew her nose loudly on a handkerchief.

"I do."

"And do you, Draco Malfoy take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish in sickness and in health until death parts you?"

The whole muggle style celebration had been her doing, of course. He turned to see his best man stood nudging one of the pretty bridesmaids and whispering in her ear, making her fight hard not to giggle. He really was a hero, that Zabini bloke, only when he wanted to be of course.

"I do."

The vicar beamed down at them, as though it had made his life worth living just to hear him say it.

"Then it is my great honor to use the power invested in me to pronounce you husband and wife."

The congregation applauded and cheered and Draco bent down and kissed Hermione before the vicar had even given the instruction.

Hermione could feel herself grinning inexcusably widely into the kiss and when they broke apart, she saw that Draco was returning her smile in equal measure. "Man and wife." He breathed happily. He casually slid a hand across her stomach, loving the feel of the small, barely noticeable bump there, hidden beneath the folds of the wedding gown. "We going to tell them today?" He asked her, still unable to relax his face.

"No. Today's our day. Baby has the rest of its life to have attention." Draco chuckled and took her hand, leading her back down the aisle as the applause continued.

They past Narcissa, who wiped a tear from her eye and waved. They saw Neville and other friends from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Blaise had been the only Slytherin allowed in. Blaise himself, who stuck both thumbs up at them before pointing obviously at the bridesmaid and making obscene his thrusting actions behind her back. The Weasley family smiled and clapped them by. The Hogwarts house ghosts and Tonks even lingered at the back of the room, unseen by the muggle party. At the back of the room stood Harry, dressed in a simple set of black dress robes, all ready to escort the couple down to their traditional muggle limousine.

Harry tugged on Draco's arm, holding her back. "Thank for everything." He said, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "Look after her ok."

"What? In the car?' Draco smirked.

"No, I mean… you know exactly what I mean."

Draco patted Harry on the back. "I will, I promise."

He clambered into the back of the car after Hermione, and his lips met hers the minute he'd sat down.

"We're married!" Hermione shrieked ecstatically. "I can't believe it!"

Draco laughed at her as she struggled to sit still as the muggle car trundled along. She fidgeted restlessly, shuffling her wand between her fingers until Draco silently pointed out that their driver was a muggle. She nodded and hastily pushed the wand back beneath the dress. Slipped into her garter maybe? Draco couldn't work it out.

They finally arrived at the hotel, the party of wizards already stood waiting having apparated. The small muggle guests would arrive shortly. The party bustled into the Hotel lobby where a host of hotel staff stood to meet them.

They were guided into a grand ballroom style hall. The decorations were enough to even take Hermione's breath away, and she had been the one to pick them out. Pastel colored streamers were suspended from the ceiling, and the whole place was filled with delicate white orchids.

Music started up and the crowd separated into those who wished to dance, and those who wanted to sit down.

Hermione chose to sit, and was suitably accompanied by Draco. It would be their turn to dance later. She laughed happily as she watched Harry spin Ginny around so fast, Ginny found it difficult to keep her footing. Draco saw Blaise dancing enthusiastically with the bridesmaid, and noticed with a chuckle, that Blaise's eyes didn't seem to have yet risen north from the poor woman's chest. He looked back to see that Hermione was gazing at him, eyes brighter than he'd ever seen them before. He reached over the table and took her hands in his.

"Thank you so much for this day." She noticed a slight falter in his voice, and she knew he'd never said more sincere words. "And… and thank you for awantingg to be with me for always as much as I want to be with you. You don't know how happy it makes me."

"I think I do." She told him. "Because I think it's about as happy as I feel every time I wake up in the morning and remember I'm with you." She felt a tear slide down her cheek, and her smile widened. "That's how glad I am we're here." She laughed, indicating her tears.

The doors clattered open and in came her parents. Samantha looked amazing. Hair cut and dyed to shine blonde rather than the old mousy brown. She looked healthier too, her face fuller, and not so wispy. He father marched forwards and shook Draco vigorously by the hand.

"Wonderful service." He told him gruffly. "Congratulations."

"Welcome to the family!" Samantha embraced him warmly, making Hermione giggle at Draco's startled face.

Her father turned to her. "My little girl's a married woman…" He stammered.

Hermione hugged him. "I'll always be your little girl, daddy." She whispered. Her mother hugged her too, followed by a great procession of family friends and relatives. It was only when the last little cousin had passed through the doors that Hermione was finally able to turn her attention back to her new husband.

She sank down wearily into her chair. "Who'd have thought getting married would be so exhausting."

Draco smirked. "Don't you dare go thinking you're going straight to sleep tonight." He said, cheerfully.

Before Hermione could respond there was a chime of metal on glass and they looked up to see Blaise walking across the stage to the muggle microphone, which he was eyeing suspiciously. He stopped before it and tapped it. No sound came out. He seemed to dismiss it, and stepped away from it before bellowing across the hall.

"I don't really know how to work those things." This in itself provoked a laugh from the crowd. "So I'll just go without if that's ok."

"I'm Blaise Zabini, and I like to think of myself as Draco's best mate." He grinned down at Draco who raised his glass to him. "Because of this I was able to watch Draco's hatred of Hermione grow to friendship and then eventually to love. It took a while, but it happened, through circumstance or just plain chance, I don't know." He looked over the crowd, eyes widening as he realized that everyone's attention was solely on him.

"Uh, anyway. They have a habit of getting into trouble." There was a slight titter from various groups scattered in the crowd. "But they always get through it together, and that's what makes them work. They might argue like hell when they want to, but both of them are strong enough in character to see when they're wrong, and though they're both proud as hell, they won't hesitate to apologize and I can't tell you how much I admire that."

"I've heard a best man speech is supposed to be funny, and normally for me that wouldn't be much of a problem, but there's nothing really humorous about these two. I might have caught them in a few odd… positions a few times…"

Hermione felt her face flush and she swiftly looked away from her parents. "But other than that all I've ever seen from the two of them over the past five years is care and trust and helluva lot of love, not only for one another, but for everyone around them, even the ones they had to work to get to like, and I tell you something, I can't wait to find a woman with whom I can have a relationship like theirs." He raised his glass and the rest of the crowd did too. "To Draco and Hermione, the most perfect couple I've ever known." Blaise smiled at the both, and Hermione felt her eyes welling up once more.

"Draco and Hermione."

* * *

_Aplogies for chapter 29, I'll rewrite it. well the bit with Voldy anyway, as I agree that wa spretty runnish_

_Well that's it. End of story. I do hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to everybody who reviewed, especially if you reviewed more than once! I don't think I got one bad review, which I think is quite an achievement. I'm not really much good at endings but I'm quite happy with this one. _

_If you enjoyed this fic, add me to your author alert thing cos I've already written a few chapters of my new one which will be called "I Dare You To Fall in Love" which I will start posting soon, but not right away as I want to be organized and write most of it before then. _

_Well yeah. Review and tell me what you thought! I got an odd review the other day that just said "what the hell!" I was guessing it wasn't a bad thing though as they'd read 28 chapters! _

_So, go on then, get reviewing, add me to favorite authors if you wish to read more! And, well, it's been a pleasure writing this for you all!_

_JustADoll_

_Over and out!_

_xxx_


	31. AN

Hello!

Just to let you know, I've just started a spin-off form this story, based around Blaise and his escapades.

Please have a look!

It's called 'When it all Gets Better'

Just click on my name up there, and have a gander!

JustADoll

xxx


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